


A Long and Weary Request

by lilnepp



Series: A Long and Weary Request [2]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Mystery, a murder(s) most foul, a sinister plot, acknowledging trauma, oooOooOOoOO spooky mystery, this is gonna be fun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 35,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26890297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilnepp/pseuds/lilnepp
Summary: A translation request in South-Western Fiore brings Levy, Gajeel and Pantherlily to the seaside town of Mistshore. Seemingly innocent with a large payout, the three soon come to terms with the fact that not everything is as it seems.
Relationships: Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox
Series: A Long and Weary Request [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1936747
Comments: 21
Kudos: 44





	1. i’m on fire

The waiting room in the archaeological building was, in a word, cozy. Almost too cozy, Levy thought, staring at a green pinstriped wall covered floor-to-ceiling in taxidermy monster’s heads. The waiting seats were perhaps almost too comfortable, as she kept sinking into the gap between the back of the chair and the seat cushion itself, and the obnoxious and overpowering scent of mahogany and teakwood was making it hard for her to concentrate. She couldn’t even imagine what it must have felt like for Gajeel’s sensitive smell.

“How much longer are they gonna keep us waiting? This is ridiculous.” Gajeel whined, a hand over his eyes. 

“You’re so dramatic. It’s only been about ten minutes.” She replied with a smirk. 

“Ten minutes too long, if you ask me. Wouldn’t they have had the contracts ready to go for when we got here?” 

“Usually, yeah. Maybe they’re writing them up as we speak.” She explained, trying to stay upbeat. The wait probably wouldn’t have felt so long if they hadn’t had to walk to the complex, which was a stunning eight kilometres out of town, and unreachable by transport (much to Gajeel’s gratefulness and Levy’s chagrin). 

Gajeel wasn’t wrong; most places were spoken agreement when it came to magic requests and were recorded later, so having pen and paper contracts upfront was a slight inconvenience. However, given the context of the request, it made sense; the documents Levy had to translate were sealed away underground, seen only by a handful of eyes and touched by even fewer. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to translate and rerecord a language and information that was hundreds of years old, and she wasn’t about to pass it up because of a short wait. 

“Yeah, well... I’m sick of him looking at me.” 

Looking to where Gajeel gestured vaguely, Levy stifled a giggle. There was a Lizardman head on a mahogany plaque, one eye looking slightly off to the right while the other stared dead ahead. 

“If it’s any consolation,” She began. “He’s looking at  _ me _ too.” 

Gajeel exhaled through his nose.

“You’d be an easier fight. He’s picking his battles.” Gajeel teased, glancing Levy’s way to gauge her reaction. 

“You might have to fight him off, then. Since I need protection and all.” She retaliated, keeping her gaze in front of her. If she dared to look at him, she’d turn as red as a rose. 

She wasn’t sure exactly when she’d started developing feelings for him, but she imagined it was sometime just before Tenrou. Or maybe just after Tenrou. When he diverted Laxus’ lightning bolt? When he’d bought her a drink that one night, when it was late and only a handful of people were still in the guild and Cana watched slyly as he made an attempt to make small talk? No, it was definitely before Ryuzetsu-land, because she thought the waterslide was romantic before he almost puked in her hair. And it was absolutely before the celestial spirit rebellion, because she had to...

The oak door to their left swung open, three older men wearing navy-coloured coats walking in a single file line to stop in front of them. 

“Miss McGarden,” The tallest of the men, standing in the middle, addressed her. He was wearing a silver monocle that had one arm on the side of it; like a pair of glasses he had simply sawn in half. 

“We are truly grateful you’ve been able to help with our request. We had tried to get your attention several times over the last couple months, but your guild informed us you were preoccupied with other...  _ requests _ .”

Gajeel snorted. Levy shot him a look that dared him.  _ Behave _ . 

“Your translation talents are unmatched. We particularly admired your work of the hieroglyphs in the Northern Hakobe region, and we even have some of the samples that were retrieved in the museum sector with your direct translations beneath them.”

Levy began to flush, the admiration being something she wasn’t used to. 

“Thank you, that really means a lot to me. I’m glad you approve of my work and found my skill set adequate enough for the job.” She thanked, one hand scratching the back of her neck. 

“Please, Miss McGarden, don’t underestimate yourself; your work is renowned in the linguistics world. And for someone so young and...  _ graceful _ ! We’re honoured to have you on board with us.” The shortest of the bunch, a round man on the right, concluded. He enunciated every word to the vowel and consonant, hissing every ‘s’ and over-pronouncing every ‘h’. 

“She is  _ graceful _ , isn’t she?” Gajeel began, a mischievous smirk on his face. Levy pursed her lips and glared once more, but this time Gajeel didn’t seem deterred. 

“You should see her dance.  _ That’s _ graceful.” 

“Please excuse my... teammate. He’s not usually involved in this line of work.” Levy interrupted before he could go on, waving her hands in front of her. He was doing this out of boredom, and she knew it. 

“Mister Redfawn, was it?” The short man asked, peering mockingly at Gajeel.

Barely hiding a scowl, Gajeel glared at him. 

“ _ Redfox _ , actually.” 

“Oh. Terribly sorry.” The man responded. Levy could sense the tension and, not wanting the endanger the mission before it even began, came up with a solution.

“Perhaps you would like to wait for me in the hall, Gajeel?” 

Realising his fun had come to an end, Gajeel stood and raised both hands in front of him. 

“As you wish, _ Miss McGarden _ .” 

The four remaining people watched as he strolled casually to the door, swinging it open and near-slamming it shut. She could tell that the archaeologist council was unimpressed with his behaviour. 

“Does he possess any translation talent such as yours, Miss McGarden?” The final member, on the left, asked. He had interesting facial hair, with grey mutton chops that met up into a moustache above his lips. It gave him a square-like face shape.

“No, I’m afraid.” Levy sighed. “He’s more... the muscle. He’ll be assisting me in protecting the texts while I study them. I can vouch for him.”

“I see,” The three said at once. 

“In any case, we would like to introduce ourselves. I am Sir Otterweld,” The tallest announced, shaking Levy’s hand. 

“I am Professor Duplaine,” The shortest followed, shaking her hand with enough energy that she thought he might send her flying out of her chair.

“And I am Mr Beneé.” The middle concluded, and simply tipped his hat towards her. She gave a warm smile in return.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I’m really excited to begin working on this request, but I have to ask-”

“The attacks, yes…” Sir Otterweld interrupted, and the trio looked away dramatically.

“Actually, I wanted to inquire about-”

“We’re not entirely sure why they’re targeting us, or the text. We suspect it’s the work of a dark guild, and that the text might contain something useful to them; but from previous research, it seems like a simple historic record. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Levy glanced thoughtfully toward the floor, bringing a finger to her chin.

“Befitting of a dark guild,” Professor Duplaine sneered, turning his nose upward. “Filthy roaches with no regard for science or the value of history.” 

“Do you have any idea which dark guild in particular is causing issues?” Levy asked. If she could pinpoint which dark guild it was coming from, she could research in her own time to narrow down a motive or possible parties involved. Notoriety from being involved with one wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be; sometimes, it could be your downfall.

The three looked nervous for a moment, hesitant as Beneé produced a folded up piece of paper from his back pocket. He handed it to Levy, and she fished out a pair of red reading glasses from her back pocket. Her eyes scanned the paper quickly, and she immediately recognised the runes and dialect of the script. 

“This is traditional Northern Boscan, for sure. Most likely in the North-Eastern bracket. Whoever is troubling you, they’re not from around here. It’s quite a long trek from there to Fiore, too…” She trailed off, reading what was written. It was only a rough translation in her mind, but she could translate it easily enough. 

_ The Blooded Chapter sees all.  _

_ The Blooded Chapter is judge, jury and executioner.  _

_ The Blooded Chapter cannot rest while you commit atrocities against tradition and all that is sacred.  _

_ Your crimes will not go unpunished. _

“I mean, this handwriting is terrible. I almost couldn’t make out a couple words there.” Levy chuckled, one hand scratching the back of her neck as she handed it back. 

“M-Miss McGarden… with all due respect, you seem awfully  _ blasé _ about this...” Otterweld noted, eyebrows furrowed in concern. The wrinkles in his forehead intensified when he did this, and it made him look severely older than he was. 

Confused, Levy looked around at them. 

“Why wouldn’t I be? This isn’t the first death threat I’ve ever seen. It certainly won’t be the last. You guys should really make sure your security is up to scratch.”

The trio looked at each other, and then back to Levy, wondering which one should tell her. 

“Miss McGarden,” Duplaine began slowly, taking one of her hands into both of his with a consoling touch. Levy felt her intuition kick in, her stomach sinking immediately at the contact. Her smile quickly slid from her face.

“This letter was addressed specifically to you. We received it two days ago.”

At first, it took a moment. She let out a hearty laugh fueled by confusion and disbelief. Why would anyone have a death threat out against  _ her? _ She was one of the least confrontational people she knew, second only to Kinana. Surely, they were joking. Or misconstrued the letter. Levy held the letter in between her fingertips a bit tighter, blinking before rereading the opening paragraph. 

_ Judge, jury and executioner? _

Her perplexion quickly morphed into fear, and she felt her heartbeat in her ears, as loud as a drum. Anxiety crawled up her spine slowly, like a prowling cat, and a chill worked its way through her. She was digesting the information now, the gravity of it setting in. It felt like a pit had opened up in her stomach, a black hole of trepidation and horror that threatened to devour her before the writer of the letter even had a chance.

Then she remembered she had Gajeel and Lily, and while the majority of that new and fleeting fear subsided, there was still a tiny piece of her that continued to build it up in her mind. It stuck to her like a single strand of thread that you couldn’t pick off, no matter what you did. 

“We understand that this is very confronting information to hear. There have been known cases of people opposing the advancement of linguistics and history’s relationship, people wanting texts and script to remain untouched and untranslated, for certain groups of people to be able to read them and those people only,” Beneé started.

“But do not let this deter you!” Duplaine encouraged, his admiration shining through. “Rest assured that they haven’t been able to get to the text, nonetheless anyone directly involved. Our security is top notch. You mightn’t even need your friend, but if that provides you with a sense of safety, we will make changes to our provisions.” 

Levy nodded slowly, looking towards the floor. There was a brief silence between the four of them, and Otterweld was the first to break it. 

“If you’ll follow us into the annex, we’d appreciate your signature on a few things.”

...

  
  


“And that was all?” 

“That was all. Three pieces of paper, five signatures and the keys to the chamber it’s being held in. They’ve passed on to the guards that we begin tomorrow, so they’ll be expecting us.” 

Levy sipped from the straw in her glass. She wasn’t usually one for alcoholic drinks, but she figured it was a special occasion; they were halfway to 14,000,000 jewel. Plus, it tasted like fresh mango.

She had decided to leave out the part about the death threat for now, not wanting to spoil the evening for Gajeel and Lily, who were excited for their first opportunity to eat since the early morning. She promised herself she’d tell them in the morning. 

“Still, that seems quite underwhelming, considering the significance of the request - not to mention the attacks.” Pantherlily chimed in, stealing a strip of bacon from Gajeel’s full plate while he wasn’t looking. It was still steaming, only having been set down in front of him moments before. 

Levy thought about it for a moment. 

“I guess you’re right. The convenience doesn’t outweigh the risk. We’ll still have to be working at one hundred and ten percent.”

Another waiter came along and set Levy’s meal down in front of her - an omelette with fresh seacress, lettuce and cucumber salad, with a side of sliced kiwi fruit. She picked one slice off of the smaller plate before sliding it over to Lily, whose eyes lit up in appreciation.

The restaurant was loud and rowdy, but it reminded them all of home. It was located at the foot of a local beach, and they were sat in an outdoor area, fenced in with a half-wall of bamboo shoots. There were torches and lights strung up all around, and the live music blared from the stage across the restaurant. The patrons sung along drunkenly when they knew the words. The archaeological society had opened a tab for them all over town, so the drinks would never run out, which Gajeel was more than happy about. 

The waves of the beach crashed in their high tide, sliding back and forth along the sandy shore. He watched Levy as she propped her head on one hand, the other lazily picking at her food, looking out towards the water. The lights hit her just right, pinks and yellows reflecting off of her hair, and he wondered what she was thinking about.

“I’ll handle the risk, you handle the reward.” He said, reaching into his pocket to pull out some iron shavings. He sprinkled them comedically over his large breakfast - despite the fact it was about nine o’clock at night - and waited for a reaction from either Levy or Lily. 

“And I’ll handle the kiwi... if you may be so kind as to order some more, Levy.” Pantherlily asked bashfully, slowly sliding the empty plate forward. 

“Sure,” Levy smiled, flagging down a waitress who was walking past. “It’s all on the tab anyways. Order as much as you want.”

“So...” Gajeel began, fork and knife in the wrong hands as he cut into a decent-sized slab of ham. “What was the story with the nesting doll men?” 

Levy grinned at the lame attempt of a joke. 

“They’re all members of the society. The tall one is Otterton, the short one is Duplaine, and the one in the middle is Beneé. Two of them arrived just over two weeks ago, while the third is stationed here permanently. Turns out they’ve had the texts for about three months now but just haven’t had any luck with translators or mages.” She marvelled. 

“And...?” Gajeel prodded, speaking with his mouth full. 

“And...?”

“What’s the go? Where do we slot in?” Gajeel crossed his arms, leaning forward with his elbows on the table.

Disregarding his terrible table manners, Levy continued.

“We turn up tomorrow to the same building. They’ll have a carriage and an escort waiting for us. We have to sign our names in a book with the date every time we take the carriage, so that they have records of who’s been to inspect it or who’s been to that area. It’s all very secretive and well-fortified.”

“Can’t we walk? I’ll be damned if I get into a carriage. Besides, I thought it was unreachable by transport.” 

“Unfortunately, not this time, Gajeel. They use illusion magic to hide it, and only the coach master knows where it is. It’s a fourteen-million-jewel secret, and the location seems to be on a need-to-know basis. It’s reachable by transport if you know which paths to take.” 

He mulled this over reluctantly, wondering how long the commute would last. 

“And what of the attacks?” Lily chimed in. “I wasn’t able to discern much from the townspeople. They seem to be as in the dark as we are - or were - about the project.”

Gajeel thought about it. 

“Doesn’t matter now. Anyone tries anything and they’ll be met with a right hook made of steel. Ain’t no way, no how that anything is gonna happen to the book.” 

“Text,” Levy corrected, pointing towards him with her fork. “It’s a text, not a book. They informed me it’s actually spread across clay tablets and loose sheafs of paper, which are thankfully marked in the order they were found.” 

“Text, shmext.” Gajeel rolled his eyes. “As long as you can translate it, who cares? We’re about to be swimming-in-it rich. I’m gonna buy some enchanted armour with my share.” 

“Really? I can’t picture you wearing armour. It seems redundant.” 

“Shrimp, I won’t be wearing it. I’ll be chomping on it. Tastes way better when it’s been enchanted, anyway.” 

Levy chuckled, flagging down a passing waiter to order more drinks and a treat for Pantherlily. 

“Excuse me! We’ll get two more mango bursts, two mugs of lifted root ale and three more plates of the kiwi sliders, please!”

The waitress gave a grin and a nod, turning on her heel back towards the bar to bark the order. It was difficult to hear over the music, but even Gajeel could just barely make out anything she was saying.

“What’ll you do with your share, Levy?” Pantherlily asked, taking a break from the voracious decimation of what was on his plate as he waited patiently for the next serve.

She brought a finger to her bottom lip, looking away for a moment. 

“Maybe a library extension! I’m sure I’ve got room somewhere in my dorm. There are still a couple walls left untouched, and I think if I try I could squeeze in a couple shelves over the top of some door frames. Then I’d probably spend it on books and maybe a new outfit or two.”

Gajeel furrowed his brows. 

“That’s all? You’d still have some left over.” He proposed, a mix of a question and a statement.

Levy looked just as confused as he did. 

“No, I wouldn’t. Although I guess I could put some money away before I paid for the books.”

“You’re gonna spend seven million jewels on  _ books _ ?!” Gajeel roared in disbelief, not realising that he was slack-jawed and had dropped his knife and fork mid-slicing, the utensils still sticking out of the leg of ham.

“Not just books! Library extensions, some clothes, and obviously things I’ll need to get by!” Levy volleyed, trying to justify her plan. It made perfect sense when she’d thought about it earlier. She flushed as she realised how it had sounded, but truth be told, it wasn’t far from the real thing.

“Haven’t you read just about everything by now?! You don’t  _ need _ any new books!” 

Levy’s embarrassment turned into offence as the conversation became more lively, matching the energy of their environment.

While the trio tried to get to the bottom of Levy’s spending habits, in the corner of the bar, a mage slipped three drops of midbane poison into four glasses and mugs. They stirred it with a bamboo skewer, and shook them up, waiting for the silvery substance to dissolve. None of the other bartenders or waiting staff seemed to notice among the chaos that was the Mistshore Seaside Bar and Restaurant, and the mage put all four drinks and the side of kiwi onto a wooden serving plate. The waitress who had barked the order swung by again, as if on a mission guided by fate, and grabbed the wooden plate from the bar counter, weaving in and out of crowds to the table where the three Fairy Tail members sat and excitedly discussed their immediate future.

None of them gave it any second thought as they sipped their drinks, unaware that the wheels of fate had been set in motion; it was the beginning of a long and weary request.


	2. lithium

The night had been long and full of restless sleep for Gajeel, Levy and Pantherlily, but not for the same reasons. Gajeel’s night had been full of tossing and turning, unable to rest his weary eyes. When he did eventually get to sleep, a feeling of insecurity washed over him, as if he were being watched. This would, in turn, force him to keep his eyes open; if his dragon senses thought there was danger around, then his body would respond in kind with no regard for what his mind had to say about it. To try and distract himself, he would try to tune into Levy’s sleep talking on the other side of the wall, or at least her heartbeat or breathing, but it seemed like she wasn’t even there; a deafening silence where his sleeping aid had been. Another reason to stay awake - wondering where on Earthland she had gotten to. 

Pantherlily’s stomach grumbled uncomfortably, and he clutched at it with both paws, feeling the breeze pick up. He was sitting on the balcony area, accessible only to him since Gajeel’s room didn’t actually _have_ a door to the balcony, and he was the only one who could fit through the window between the pair of them. At first, Lily was adamant on keeping watch since he and Gajeel had suspected a break-in on their first night, but the growing discomfort in his stomach was distracting him from his self-determined responsibility. He wondered if turning into his battle form would allow whatever was happening to happen quicker; if there was anything that he was certain of, it was that he _never_ got sick, and he had no intention of breaking that streak tonight. 

Levy was far worse off than Lily, laying flat on her back on the bathroom floor. The cool tiles provided some relief from the twisting feeling in her gut, but it wasn’t enough to prevent her from vomiting altogether. She shivered as she braced herself for the next expulsion, quickly gripping onto the sides of the toilet bowl, and let her body do the work. At first she had been reluctant, trying to fight the feeling of sickness, but she came to realise that that particular method was doing her more harm than good, and she wondered if maybe she had had too many mango bursts at dinner. She _had_ gotten tipsy, to say the least, and chalked up the illness to drinking too much. 

Her eyes watered as she hurled, and a migraine had begun to make its home behind her eyes. Feeling weak, she became aware of how light-headed she was, and the shakiness in her limbs. She went on like this for several minutes, trying to convince herself it was over, but the nausea hit her in waves; it had been about three hours before it settled. Levy stumbled back to her bed, pulling the thick blanket and top sheet back. She glanced out the window, the familiar silhouette of Lily resting on her balcony. She simply laid there for a moment before pulling the blankets up to her chin, turning over to get some rest.

Lily’s illness had subsided not too long after he transformed into his battle form, the urge to be sick unmatched by his new size. He hadn’t seen anyone lingering, nor anyone using their respective balconies. The night had been long and quiet, and he had, frustratingly, learned nothing. He sat cross legged as the last of the nausea passed, feeling dehydrated as he watched the early beams of the rising sun weave themselves over the horizon. 

Gajeel had eventually gotten to sleep, but only for an hour or two, plagued by nightmares. He hated feeling unsafe in an environment he considered to be his; whether temporary or permanently. His nightmares consisted of him as a child, stumbling around a forest full of briar patches. He could hear a voice calling out for help, but was caught by the thorns. They ripped at his clothes and skin, tore and tangled his hair. He cried, pushing through it, and when he reached the end, a bruised and bloodied mess, the voice called him back to the other side, more frantic than before. 

He awoke in a cold sweat, sitting up and brushing his hair back with his hands. He would have to go to the bathhouse; as much of a tough guy as he was, he still cared about his hygiene, especially if he was going to be around her all day. Slick skin wasn’t exactly enticing. 

Gajeel dressed quickly, throwing on whatever was nearest, and looked in the mirror. He looked out of place in that luxurious room, wearing a short sleeved grey top that was studded in the sleeves, billowy tan pants that tucked into his usual boots against the lush reds and purples that adorned the suite. He noticed that the front of one of his boots had started to lift from its sole; he’d have to go shopping at some point to get a new pair.

Lily came back through the window at that moment, tucking his wings away as he landed on the hardwood floor. 

“Find anything?” Gajeel asked, still inspecting the damage of his boot.

“Nothing so far. However, I must ask, did you feel any sort of nausea or sickness last night? I seemed to have been afflicted by some sort of food poisoning.” 

Gajeel turned to look at Lily, and noticed that the Exceed did look a little under the weather. Dark, sleepless circles laid under his eyes, and Gajeel noticed tiny little shivers that he did every now and again.

“Not at all. Couldn’t sleep, though.”

“Nightmares again?” Pantherlily asked, walking to stand beside Gajeel in the full-length mirror. He watched as he adjusted his shirt and tied a bandana around his forehead. 

Gajeel grunted affirmatively in response, never really divulging much more than that. Lily knew that they were common, moreso as of late, but didn’t like to pry where he wasn’t invited to. 

“Heading out to the bathhouse, though. Gonna invite Lev. You’re welcome to come.” He said curtly. 

“Inviting her?” Pantherlily smirked. “How gentlemanly of you. To the bathhouse no less.” 

Gajeel scowled.

“It ain’t like that, cat, and you know it.” 

“ _Sure_ ,” Pantherlily nodded in response, crossing his arms.

“I think I _will_ join you, however. After last night, I could use a warm bath. Are they hot springs?” 

Gajeel nodded, picking up a small key from the top of a dressing table and sticking it in his pocket. It had a yellow ribbon and a piece of leather attached to it, an inscribed ‘436’ on its top side. 

“Excellent,” Lily smiled, reaching into his duffel on the floor, pulling out a different pair of pants. They were white with a brown hemming.

Gajeel waited for him to walk out, looking down as his eyes followed the Exceed out of the suite, and he pulled the door shut behind them. Levy’s suite was only next door, so the walk was less than ten metres, but the stretch seemed to induce a nervousness in Gajeel that he wasn’t used to. 

What if she didn’t wanna go? It was only a bathhouse; it wasn’t like they’d be in the _same_ bath. He’d pay for her entry. Hell, he’d even treat her to breakfast afterwards. 

He decided on a more firm approach. 

He knocked three times against the door, listening keenly for any sounds of life (as dramatic as it was), and spoke loudly.

“I’m comin’ in.” 

He waited for a few moments more, in case she had to cover up, and then a few moments after that. He turned the door knob, a tad unsettled when he realised it wasn’t locked, and stepped into the suite. 

It was almost a perfect mirror of his, tiered curtains and dark hardwood floors, ornate lamps and a brickwork fireplace set in a corner to face the rest of the room. Dark burgundy wallpaper. A bookcase in the opposite corner, already half empty, a marbled vanity behind the open door with a red velvet stool. The only differences were the books stacked on the bedside table and the open suitcases on the floor with clothes spilling out of them. The door to the private bathroom was wide open, and an almost unbearable stench wafted from within, like bile and last night’s dinner. 

She was laid diagonally across the bed on her stomach, one hand resting near her face and the other straight down beside her. It wasn’t often she let her fringe down, but it graced her face gently, slightly dishevelled. The sheets were tangled, as Gajeel often liked to imagine, and her small feet poked out of the other end. She was drooling.

_She was drooling._

“Shrimp,” he tried, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. Lily walked around him and also stood in the entryway, 

“Lev,” He tried again. She stirred slightly, making a small hum sound that plucked at one of Gajeel’s heartstrings. She knew how to do it best. 

He walked over to the bedside, squatting so that his face was level with hers. 

“You sleep alright?” 

She hummed again. 

“Get sick?” 

Her eyes opened slightly, and she would’ve been alarmed at how close he was if she didn’t already know that Gajeel was just _like that_. She found it endearing.

“Yeah. Pretty bad.” She spoke softly, her voice still waking up. 

“So did Lil. Must’ve been the kiwi, you both ate it.”

She hummed affirmatively. There was a tender silence for a few seconds, and they both locked eyes. Any normal person would consider it _just_ too long, the kind of eye contact made by life-long lovers; intimate and full of trust. But the pair didn’t seem to notice. 

“Lily and I are going out to the hot springs. You coming?”

She moved to sit up and wiped at her eyes, and Gajeel watched her movements carefully. He could tell she wasn’t feeling up to it. 

“I know I should probably go,” She began, yawning. She sounded more awake now, more alert.

“You stink.” Gajeel interrupted. Lily flew up onto the bed, coming to his favourite resting spot - Levy’s lap - and he silently awaited his petting. She rolled her eyes at Gajeel’s statement.

“But I didn’t get to sleep until late, and I’m still really tired. I’m sorry, you two. How about I meet you for a late breakfast in town? We won’t go back to that same place again.” She suggested, trying to stay bright despite the headache forming behind her eyes.

Gajeel’s heart sank for a moment, but his plan wasn’t fully lost. 

“Sure, I gotta get new boots anyway. We’ll bump into you somewhere.” 

She smiled, in the way where her eyes crinkled and her teeth were barely concealed by her lips, shining like a ray of sunlight. That ray of sunlight made Gajeel feel like he was trapped under a magnifying glass, but he wouldn’t change it if given the chance. It was warm and all-encompassing. Just her smile, in the way only she could. 

“Sounds like a plan.” She confirmed, giving Lily one final scratch behind the ears before Gajeel would inevitably expect him to follow. 

…

Gajeel wasn’t so sure why he felt particularly _in tune_ that day. It was like he could see every little detail, hear every little breeze; smell everything, especially the sweet bakery a few blocks away. It felt like all his senses were somewhat heightened, and his brain was running at one-hundred-and-ten percent. 

The hot springs had done little to calm his mind; the steam became irritating after several minutes, and the fact that neither he nor Lily had eaten had sort of spoiled the experience. 

The pair were walking up one of the main streets, passing restaurant after restaurant and stall after stall until they happened upon a small unsuspecting store tucked away in a corner of the town square. The brown bricks and dark windows only helped to camouflage it amongst the other, much larger stores. It smelt like leather and suede, and Gajeel pulled out his wallet in advance. 

“Here?” Lily asked, eyeing up the small cobbler’s shop. It had a rusted iron sign above the doorway, and a small bell tinkled as a customer left. 

“Definitely. Ain’t no business like a family business when it comes to quality. Plus, these places usually have a lot of leftovers, too. Somethin’ to snack on.” Gajeel smirked mischievously. 

At first, Lily considered this statement, and thought it admirable that Gajeel would prefer hand-made shoes to the commercial ones. Then he remembered that there was more in it for him than _just_ the shoes. 

“How noble of you, Gajeel.” He rolled his eyes. 

“You don’t have to come in, cat. Nobody’s making you.” 

Rather than sit through a hyper-sensitive and quickly-flaring temper, Pantherlily decided on taking the high road. Besides, he knew when to leave Gajeel to his own devices.

“I think I’m going to go see about the fresh fruit market. Perhaps pick up some non-contaminated kiwi and stock up.” 

Gajeel grunted in response, nodding to him as he flew away, and then held the small, shiny doorknob to the cobbler’s. He pushed the door open as the bell tinkled once more. 

At first, there was a deliciously overwhelming scent of metal; sewing machines and shoe stands and all sorts of tools splayed out all over large wooden benches. Then the smell of leather overtook it, pelts hung up against the wall and shelves stocked with different sizes of boots and sandals and shoes. The inside of the store was deceitfully large, with every inch and every corner utilised for storage and work spaces. It was comfortably and familiarly cozy and packed in tight, like a tin of tuna. Everything seemed to have its place and purpose; Gajeel knew his gut instinct was right to have chosen it. 

He looked around, and spotted a man sitting at a bench. He had bandages wrapped over his eyes, and lavender hair pulled back into a low ponytail. The man was feeling at the insole seam of a half-done boot, stitches still hanging loose and eyelet holes still needing their respective rings. His foot lay rested on top of a foot pedal, hooked up to a machine that Gajeel couldn’t even imagine doing what.

“You the shoemaker?” He asked bluntly, running his fingers over a pair of boots on a nearby shelf.

“Indeed, I am.” Responded the man with the lavender hair, placing his leather cut underneath the machine. Gajeel couldn’t see exactly what he was doing, but there was some fidgeting for a moment. The man pulled down a lever with a grunt, and when he pulled it back up, the eyelet rings were in place. 

“You are in need of boots.” 

“You’re pretty sharp for someone who can’t see.” 

The man chuckled. 

“Indeed, I am.” He repeated. “But I assure you, the quality of my boots is unmatched in all of Fiore.”

“I’d hope so. Boots by a blind man ain’t something I’m particularly holding out faith for.”

The pair of them were silent for a moment, and the entangling scents of the store were becoming overbearing for Gajeel. He lifted up a pair of dainty women’s sandals, inspecting the handiwork.

“What if you had boots that were light, to help you travel swiftly? What if they had iron in the soles? To keep your feet on the ground during battle?” 

This caught his attention, and he put the sandals back where they belonged.

“Iron, huh?” 

“Indeed.” 

The man’s head had not yet turned to face Gajeel’s position, but it felt like he was staring straight at him. 

“Would love to know what makes you think I need any help in battle.” 

The man opened his mouth for a moment, then closed it swiftly.

“Many travellers like to be sure of their own weight when it comes to fighting. Mages especially, what with all the kinds of magic around these days. Being heavier or lighter or swifter can make all the difference between a victory or a loss. Besides, there isn’t anyone alive who _couldn’t_ benefit from a little more help.” 

Gajeel considered the man’s words. He wasn’t so sure the iron would help him keep his weight than provide an emergency ration, but it _was_ his element, and it didn’t hurt to show it off.

“I’ll take your word for it. But I’m also in the market for metal scraps, if you have any.”

“Metal scraps?” The man questioned curiously. “Are you a welder, young man?” 

Gajeel smirked, his signature chuckle breaking through.

“Sort of.”

…

Having left the shoemaker’s with 18,000 less jewel than he went in with, Gajeel was satisfied with his purchase. It would take three days for the shoemaker to finish the new boots, but the cloth bag full of iron and steel shards came immediately; as did Gajeel’s returning hunger upon leaving the store. 

The square was bustling for a late morning, vendors trying to sell their stock to anyone who walked past. There were many carts and stalls filled with flowers, fruit and vegetables, cooked dishes and trinkets and toys. It seemed like an idyllic life for a normal human - a beautiful romanticisation of community and everyday life. 

Gajeel wandered around the square for a bit, trying to find either Levy or Lily’s scent, but neither of them seemed to be around. If they were, their scents were heavily masked by all of the flower and food stalls. Listening for them was no use, either; the fountain set in the middle of the square was blaringly loud, and it felt like he could hear every single droplet hit the mass of water awaiting it in the bottom. 

He walked out of the square, eyes scanning the crowds for a spot of blue or a flying black blur. By this point, he was simply annoyed - if his senses hadn’t been so on edge, he’d have no trouble locating either of them, their voices etched into his mind. He walked street after street, stomach growling as he reached into his bag of scraps. 

“Where the hell are they?” He muttered to himself, shoving a handful into his mouth. The taste was okay, but it lacked something. 

As he turned a corner that led him back into the main square, he finally spotted that familiar blue mess of curls and an accompanying cat head into a store. He walked faster, shoving the bag into one of his pockets, and looked up at the rusted sign above the doorway. 

_Mistshore Jewellers and Co._

He raised an eyebrow. Today was definitely his day.

Twisting the handle downward, another tiny bell tinkled as the door opened. 

Inside, many glass cases filled up a medium-sized room with red carpet and cream walls. Framed pieces were spaced out next to a large sign that repeated the name of the store, diamonds glinting and gleaming in the sunlight that poured in through the front windows. Two salespeople were assisting other customers, too busy to notice Gajeel’s intimidating frame walk into the shop.

Levy and Lily were staring at a glass cabinet against the wall, and Gajeel came to stand behind them. 

“Thought I saw you two walk in here.” 

The pair flinched at his sudden presence, and both turned around to face him. They both looked as if they had been caught. Gajeel sized them both up, Lily’s satchel full to the brim with what smelt like fresh fruits. The hilt of his sword stuck out of the top, lifting the closing flap; it looked cleaner than it had earlier, and Gajeel suspected Lily had had it cleaned or sharpened in the time he was gone. 

Levy had her own backpack, although it wasn’t as full. It sagged slightly on her, the weight of what could only be books pulling at the bag. She was wearing a baby blue sleeveless turtleneck with a short tan pleated skirt and some simple sandals. Gajeel decided not to dwell on it. 

“Lookin’ real suspicious, too.” He added. 

“We’re just looking.” Levy explained, turning her attention from him back to the display case. Gajeel furrowed his brows as he peered in between them, trying to see what the fuss was all about. 

Having a whole shelf to itself, a silver bracelet with intricate detailed metal-work laid on a red cushion. Tiny crystals dangled about a centimetre apart from each other, red and white jewels that reflected the sun. Gajeel read the price tag; 900,000 Jewels. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen before, and yet the same as everything else. 

He glanced between the bracelet and Levy a couple times before he made the connection. 

“Wouldn’t have picked you to be a jewellery type.” He muttered. He felt drawn to it all the same.

“It’s gorgeous, but I’m not,” She said, eyes not leaving the bracelet. “Not at that price, anyway.” 

“It is quite expensive,” Lily remarked. The trio glared at it so hard that they could have burnt a hole into the glass. 

“Ain’t like it’s anything special, anyway. Just a bracelet.”

“A stupidly expensive one at that.” 

“You would have to take a handful of jobs to afford something so ludicrous.” 

“They’d have to be S class jobs, too.” 

“But it _is_ gorgeous. I love the way it glints.” 

“It’s simply shiny, Levy.” 

“I can’t even see the appeal in it. It’s just some stupid bracelet. It probably tastes like crap.” 

The trio sighed all at once. Lily and Gajeel turned reluctantly, but Levy’s gaze lingered on it just a bit longer. He took note of it, and was struck with an idea. 

… 

Gajeel gagged as they stepped out of the carriage, hands on his knees as he leant over a spot of grass. Levy crossed her arms, Lily standing beside her. 

“It was twenty minutes.” She accused plainly. Gajeel squinted his eyes shut, trying to steel himself just to bite back. 

“Ain’t _my_ fault,” He managed. “That road had more pot-holes than-“ 

Gajeel was cut off by someone clearing their throat. 

The trio turned to see who had done so. There was a tall fence, a creamy colour with a large set of gates that had swung open. The complex was surrounded by dense rainforest, and was hidden well; they weren’t even sure when they’d passed through the illusion that protected it. Some sunlight filtered through the tree canopies, dotting itself on anything it could reach.There was a misty, earthy, petrichor type of smell that lingered heavily. Standing at the front of the opened gate was Professor Duplaine and a young woman with purple hair, glasses and a clipboard. She reminded Gajeel of Laki, not that he really ever spoke to her.

“Miss McGarden! And… what was your name again?” He greeted warmly, suddenly deflating when his eyes fell on Gajeel. His assistant whispered to him, and he beamed. 

“Redfox, was it? And you must be-”

“Pantherlily.” The cat introduced himself, already in his battle form to shake hands with the professor. 

“A pleasure, Mr Pantherlily. I am Professor Duplaine, an archaeologist. It was actually I who discovered the majority of these texts before the deeper excavation work began. They’re remarkably quite intact, which I’m sure you will all appreciate.” 

“Thank you for sending out the coach, we’re very appreciative.” Levy thanked, eyes darting around, unsure where to focus among the scenic area.

“You’re also quite late! But fashionably so, I imagine. Someone with your abilities should be afforded such luxuries, Miss McGarden.” Duplaine smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder as he led her inside. Lily followed the assistant, making small talk as the gate began to close. 

“Oi! Lev! Lily! Wait!” Gajeel called out, wiping his mouth. The dry-reaching had caused him to drool somewhat, and although his stomach still turned, he ran to beat the gate as it snapped shut behind him. 

Gajeel caught up to them at the doorway, annoyed at their pace.

“I’m very sorry, sir, the gate is automatic.” The assistant explained as they all walked through a large, intricate wooden door into a long tiled hallway. It seemed to go around the whole building, which was dome-shaped. Gajeel took note of the framed pictures and papers on the walls; pictures of Duplaine and one of the other men that was with him. Archaic finds, preserved perfectly behind polished glass. 

“Gajeel, this is Rebecca. She says the professor is running an intern program on this specific job. We’ll be working with them.” Pantherlily explained. The girl gave a meek smile, holding her clipboard closer to her chest.

Gajeel sneered.

“Kids? If I felt like workin’ with kids, I would’ve stayed in Magnolia.” 

Pantherlily smirked. 

“With all due respect, Mr Redfox - I _loved_ you in the Grand Magic Games, by the way - we’re all postgraduates of the Mistshore Archaeological Society. We simply need the work experience to graduate. We don’t intend to get in your way.” Rebecca piped up before Lily could get a snide remark in. 

Understanding that he couldn’t get away with being as snarky as usual, and feeling excluded in some sense, Gajeel continued to look around. He noticed that Levy and Duplaine were considerably further ahead; no less that this _creep_ still had his hand on Levy’s back. She didn’t even seem to notice, or if she did, was acting like it didn’t bother her. Why didn’t she brush him off? 

They turned into a room on their left, and Rebecca led Gajeel and Lily in, blocking their way and giving them a wide smile. 

“I think you’re gonna like this,” She said excitedly. 

When she moved, they stepped in, and their jaws dropped. 

The large dome was full to the ceiling with bookshelves, a large chandelier with wooden beads hanging from the centre of the dome that dangled down, illuminating the space beautifully. The dome was a lot larger than it looked from the outside, with at least twenty workbenches scattered around the floor, and about eleven other interns either sitting, reading or strolling around the space. The ceiling surrounding the chandelier was glass, and one of the panels was propped open, letting the air and scent of the rainforest in to freshen up the space, which didn’t have any other windows. 

“Oh my god,” Levy whispered, looking around frantically, her hands up to her mouth in shock. 

“It’s… _incredible!_ I- I have no words! I mean, I’ve only seen one other library like this, and that’s the Council Library, but this is… I just-“ 

“I anticipated this reaction,” Duplaine laughed. “To be expected of the greatest translator in Fiore. A known bookworm’s heaven.” 

_Does he want an autograph, too?_

Gajeel was shaken out of his sour thoughts by Rebecca’s sudden words. 

“He’s a big fan. He speaks so highly of her, all the time. I’m surprised he hasn’t asked for an autograph!” She chuckled. 

“From Levy?” Gajeel furrowed his brows.

“Oh yes,” Rebecca marvelled. 

“You work with her, so I’m sure you know; she has contributed a lot to translation work around the country. Sure, it comes through as a request or a job or whatever it is that magic guilds do, but there aren’t many people with her talent around, let alone _mages_. I can see why the professor respects her so much. He’s quite the fan!” 

Rebecca smiled plainly at Gajeel, before she straightened her posture, clinging her clipboard tighter.

“Uh, but- I’m sure you already knew that! Being her teammate and all.” 

Gajeel looked towards Levy again. He suddenly felt guilty; like he’d underestimated her, doubted her in some way. He recalled times she had solved puzzles and runes, translating things on the fly like at Tenrou Island or when Laxus and his friends tried to take over the guild. She was chatting excitedly with some of the interns, shaking hands as Duplaine watched on, a smile on his face. 

“Let me get you something to drink, Miss McGarden,” He told her, putting his hands on his hips.

“Oh, just a water, if you could.” She responded thankfully. 

“And please, call me Levy.” 


	3. simmer

_ “You’re going easy on me on purpose.”  _

_ “Make it harder for me to win, then.”  _

_ Her headband had fallen off long ago, yanked out in a bout of frustration, which meant that her hair fell around her face, her fringe slick with sweat. She wanted more than anything to use it to push her hair back, but it would be pointless; besides, she couldn’t let down her guard now.  _

_ She hadn’t won against Gajeel yet, but she was determined to at least undermine him once or twice. Levy’s body ached, joints crying out for rest as she steeled herself to take another hit.  _

_ “Don’t use iron when you hit me, either. I can tell.”  _

_ “One, I ain’t been using it. That’s just how tough my skin is. This is a magic-free fight, remember? Two, the whole point is that you’re not  _ supposed  _ to let me hit ya.”  _

_ The pair stood firm across from each other, both in a fighting stance. Levy’s arms were brought up in front of her face, hands curled into fists. Her legs were posed so that her back foot dug into the dirt just slightly, pushing it up as she prepared. Her front foot was light on the ground, not too much pressure; a trick she had learned from Jet once. She could use her back foot as a springboard and her front foot would be ready to move whichever way she needed to.  _

_ A subtle breeze picked up, and as the pair locked eyes, Gajeel moved to strike. Levy flinched for a split second, a traumatic response to a time long ago, but recovered fast enough to duck, and threw herself under his right arm. She brought her left arm forward, and threw it around his torso, gripping onto his shirt as she tried to bring herself around.  _

_ She almost had her hand on the back of his neck when he swung his right arm back, pinning her between his side and his arm. He tried to grab onto her left arm, but she evaded it; she quickly placed an ankle around one of his, and used her own weight to drop to the ground and out of his grip, but brought his arm down with her.  _

_ She gripped onto his hand tightly and threw both of her legs around one of his, locking her ankles together. Levy pulled his hand down forcefully, and, miraculously, he fell to the ground; and onto her.  _

_ Levy groaned under his weight, trying to push him off. _

_ “That wasn’t half bad, shrimp. But now I’m real tired, so I think I’m gonna take a nap.”  _

_ “Gajeel,” Levy grunted. “Get off! I can’t breathe!”  _

_ Gajeel pretended to snore as she struggled, splaying his arms out beside him to make it all the more difficult.  _

_ “Hmm. Something’s wrong with this bed. Might be a pea or somethin’, like in that story.”  _

_ “It’s me! It’s me, and you know it!”  _

_ “Must be the wind.” He ignored her.  _

_ Her frustration quickly turning into laughter, Levy squirmed harder.  _

_ “Solid Script; Iron,” She giggled breathlessly, throwing her index and middle finger out to the side. A chunk of the word appeared nearby, just out of reach.  _

_ “That’s cruel, even for you. Especially when I’m so comfortable.” Gajeel tutted. Reluctantly he got up, reaching out for the chunk. Levy sat up, nursing one of her legs. It was already starting to bruise a deep yellow, and it hurt to touch.  _

_ “Couple of battle scars never hurt anyone.” He muttered with his mouth full. She looked over to him. He gestured to another forming bruise on her arm.  _

_ “Marked you up pretty bad, though.”  _

_ “Wouldn’t be the first time.” She joked darkly. Gajeel looked uncomfortable for a moment, darting his eyes away from her.  _

_ “Still, if I were able to use magic...” She muttered, letting her leg drop gently onto the grass. They sat in silence for a moment as Gajeel finished off his incentive.  _

_ “Sometimes magic ain’t enough. You gotta know how to fight without it, too. A shrimp like you’ll get eaten up out there.”  _

_ Teaching her to fight was his way of showing he cared. She understood that.  _

_ “One day, I’ll take you down, you know? And you’ll never see it coming.”  _

_ Gajeel exhaled through his nose.  _

_ “I look forward to the day you can put me on my ass, Lev.” _

_ …  _

Levy dwelled on the memory as she took the last bite out of her sandwich. She had definitely gotten better since then, and she had learned exactly  _ how _ to put Gajeel on his ass, but hadn’t yet been able to execute it. 

Her mind had drifted away from work all day, as they hadn’t had many breaks; this was the second and the last. Over the past few days, they’d worked on establishing an order between the texts and punctuation. Today, they were working on a tablet. 

She glanced towards the entry of the dome where he stood with Lily, chatting about something or other. They both spared a look towards her, and she was bitten with sudden curiosity. 

“... and that’s my theory on the characters of the third tablet.” Duplaine’s voice faded back in. His hands were intertwined and his elbows rested on the table as he glared at Levy, almost with hunger.

“Pardon? Sorry, I was off in my own little world for a moment there.” Levy explained, holding a hand over her mouth as she spoke. 

“Ah, I’ll explain after lunch.” Duplaine smiled, excusing himself. He began to scoot his seat back, raising an arm to wave down his assistant. 

“Rebecca!” 

Rebecca practically dropped everything she was doing and ran to the table that Duplaine and Levy were sat at. Her signature clipboard clattered to the ground as she skidded to a stop, and she frantically bent down to grab it.

“Yes, professor?” She asked breathlessly.

“Get this cleaned up, please. And prepare a work desk for one of the tablets.” 

“Oh, it’s okay, Rebecca! I’ve got it.” Levy reassured, piling plates together. Duplaine watched on in confusion. 

“Miss Levy, really, it’s alright-”

“Nonsense,” Levy said, standing with the plates and cutlery. “You just focus on preparing the work desk. That’s far more important than some dishes.”

Seeming grateful, Rebecca turned heel and ran towards one of the many bookshelves, gathering materials and references. 

“You don’t have to do that, Levy. They’re interns. It’s what they’re here for.” Duplaine explained. Levy gave him a small, reserved smile. She didn’t enjoy watching him treat them with less respect than they deserved, and it had begun to grind her gears over the last couple of days. 

“They’re here to learn, not clean up. Besides, I’m a capable adult, a few dishes won’t hurt.” She elaborated politely. Gajeel’s snicker was loud enough that she could hear him across the room. She decided not to acknowledge it.

Duplaine looked gobsmacked as she moved around him to an area with a sink, and rinsed the plates. They had barely been used, so she settled on leaving them on a dry rack. Levy turned around and clasped her hands together, her smile shining with excitement. 

“So, what are we going to work on next?” 

“W-well,” He began, recollecting himself after the shock of having been gently told off. 

“The tablet that  _ Rebecca _ is setting up, over there. The etching on it is quite faded, but there is what we believe to be a painting or a sketch on the opposite side.” 

The two of them walked as he explained, Levy’s interest piqued by the idea of an accompanying visual. It could be a brilliant base for working out what it was meant to say on the front. 

Rebecca moved around to the other side of the table, using a fine brush to gently clean dust off of the clay. It was a vibrant orange colour, well preserved. The etched characters, however, had been dulled and seemed to have crumbled. She hovered her hand above the beginning of the text. 

“Ah! Please, don’t touch. Young Mika over there made a similar mistake and we lost what could have been an entire paragraph on one of the other tablets.” Duplaine said, the latter half of the sentence coming through gritted teeth. Mika, a young man with messy brown hair, looked shameful as he glanced at them. 

Levy nodded, being extra careful now. Her eyes skimmed over the letters, trying to see if there were any she could make out. 

There was one. 

“Here!” She exclaimed. Duplaine’s face lit up. 

“This is North Boscan.  _ Not  _ Pergrandian. It’s sort of like a dialect; Bosco hasn’t really used any other language besides common for almost one hundred and fifty years, but one of the old languages was well-documented and easily available to research. The north and south regions had different dialects and their versions of the old Boscan alphabet were moderately different. They still had the same basic shape, but the accents surrounding the strokes were different. This one is pronounced ‘bal’. I can’t say the same for any of the surrounding characters, though.” 

Everyone in the room’s jaws fell to the floor. 

“Boscan!” Duplaine marvelled, beaming. “ _ Boscan _ ! You see, one of the students here, Volt, was able to make out this Pergrandian letter over here.” 

His hand moved to another character towards the bottom of the tablet, and Levy tilted her head. 

“That doesn’t look Pergrandian to me…” She muttered. 

“Ah, it does not.” Duplaine agreed, putting some gloves on. He nodded to himself.

“But when you turn it around…” 

With a soft touch, he shifted the position of the tablet, and when she saw it, she couldn’t unsee it. 

“It’s written upside down.” Levy whispered in surprise. 

“It is! We have some theories considering why that is; Beneé has had a brief glimpse at the texts and thinks that the interesting style in which it is written - multiple languages, or at least the two - was done by ‘ancient’ academics in order to keep the contents well hidden. I use the word ‘ancient’, because, well, there isn’t really a word for people from two hundred years ago.” 

“Using multiple languages as a disguise… It’s genius. I have to admit, I’m really excited now! This is exactly the sort of challenge I was looking forward to.” 

“I’m overjoyed to hear it, Levy. Rebecca, fetch Miss McGarden a pencil and some paper. Volt, come over here and see what else you can spot. We’ve got a lot to do, for the good of history.”

…

The day moved slowly from that point. As the natural light ceased to filter through, the students had begun to pack up their things, leaving Levy, Gajeel, Lily and Duplaine left alone in the dome. Levy’s hand was sore from writing all afternoon, and her back was no better thanks to being hunched over the work desks. Gajeel and Lily were sitting on the floor in the entryway, now playing a game of cards. Duplaine brought over a pitcher of water. 

“I’ll just finish up this page, and then we’ll be on our way, professor.” Levy said, her eyes not leaving the paper. Her glasses were slipping from the bridge of her nose, and she reached to push them up. Her hand met Duplaine’s, as he must have been trying to fix them for her. She flinched at the coldness of his hand. 

“Sorry, dear,” He chuckled. “I couldn’t help myself. Falling glasses are distractions, and distractions disrupt the flow of education.” 

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, Levy smiled nervously. She grabbed a glass of water that he had poured for her, taking a long sip.

“It’s alright, but you don’t need to do that. I’m capable of doing it myself.” 

“You are. Capable, that is.” 

He glared at Levy for a moment, and although she couldn’t see him doing it, it felt like his eyes were boring into her soul. 

“Oi! Lev! We’re ready to go.” Gajeel called. Lily stood beside him, arms crossed.

She let out a shaky breath of relief. 

“We didn’t even get to inspect the mural on the tablet, so we’ll have a lot of work to do tomorrow.” Duplaine said sadly, pushing his hands into the pockets of his pants. He hunched as he overlooked the work Levy had been doing, loose papers full of writing and propositions. 

The work they had done was expansive, but not much in the grand scheme of things. With Duplaine and his students' help, Levy had managed to single out different characters and regions of different Earthland languages. The whole thing seemed an intricate, muddled mess; it was going to take longer than she thought. Not to mention the supposed murals. Hopefully, they would provide some sort of context to work with. 

Levy picked up her backpack, which was sat at the foot of her chair, and began to walk quickly to the exit. 

“We’ll get around to it,” Levy called out behind her. “I’ll see you tomorrow, professor!” 

Gajeel kept his eye on the man for a few moments, watching as he remained hunched at the work desk. Something about him was  _ off.  _

As the three of them started to walk out, he leant down, voice barely above a whisper, as he spoke into Levy’s ear.

“What a fucking creep.” 

Levy sighed.

“Fourteen million jewels.  _ Fourteen million jewels _ .” She whispered back, squinting her eyes and crossing her fingers.

“If he gives you any more trouble, Levy…” Lily joined, flying up and tapping her crossed arms. She uncrossed them and held him comfortingly against her, scratching behind his ears as if it were like second nature. 

“It won’t take me long. End of the week, at most. It’s just unlike anything else I’ve ever seen.” She spoke, back at a normal volume. They came out into the dark rainforest, gates already open for their departure. A carriage was waiting for them, the driver taking a nap at the helm. 

“How so?” Lily asked. Gajeel seemed more broody than usual, but Levy chalked it up to the realisation that he was about to revisit his motion sickness. He didn’t seem to be paying attention to her anymore, anyway. 

“Well, whoever authored the texts clearly went to great lengths to hide whatever it says. So far we’ve counted a mix of two languages using specific characters. It could be a vocal thing, where the sounds of the different characters make out words in common, but it could also be read with the assumed knowledge that the reader understands those languages and can translate it on the fly.” 

Levy let Lily go as they stepped into the carriage. Putting her foot on the step, she looked at Gajeel, who already looked sickly. 

“Come on, Gajeel. We’ll go to the hot springs tonight. I owe you for this morning.” 

Holding his stomach, he glared at the driver.

“We have to get there first, if our friend behind the wheel is done with nap time.” He sneered, kicking the side of the carriage with enough force to send Levy tumbling inside. The driver awoke, rushing his apologies, and started the engine. Gajeel sat against one of the windows, hanging his head outside as the vehicle started to roll forward. 

Feeling sympathetic to the cause for this occasion, Levy put a hand on his shoulder. 

“Twenty minutes to go.” She reassured him in a soft voice, beginning to draw semi-circles on his arm with her thumb. 

“But it feels like an eternity…” He trailed off, gagging as they hit a bump in the road. 

“You know, for all the talk about motion sickness, I’ve never actually seen him throw up.” Lily thought out loud. 

“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Natsu properly sick from it either.” Levy responded curiously, recalling all the times she’d heard about it from Lucy. They’d had this discussion before, out of range of either of the dragon slayers’ hearing. 

“You calling me a faker?” Gajeel muttered, his head now hanging out of the window. He took long, deep breaths through his mouth. 

The mood shifted from one of tired empathy to a playful mischief. 

“I mean, I’d hate to  _ rock the boat _ by saying so,” Levy smirked.

“Careful, Levy. You’ll  _ drive _ him crazy.” 

“I bet you two think you’re real comedians. You oughta watch yourselves.” Gajeel yelled - or tried to - between bouts of dry-retching.

“To be honest, I’m not scared of you at all, Gajeel. You can’t take someone seriously when their head is hanging out of the window like a dog.” Levy giggled, sensing that it would be a good time to stop the taunting.

The carriage stopped suddenly, jolting Levy and Lily forward onto Gajeel. He grunted as they made impact, his head and arms still out of the window. They got up quickly, Levy opening the carriage door and looking out. They were still in the dense rainforest, darkness enveloping everything around them. 

“Hey, we stopped moving!” Gajeel exclaimed. 

“Driver?” Levy asked into the darkness, noticing that not even the carriage lamp was lit. She was met with pitch-black silence. 

“Careful,” Gajeel warned, pulling himself back inside the carriage. “Could be an attack.” 

“I know.” Levy replied, bracing a hand on the doorframe. She put one foot onto the foothold, taking a deep breath. 

“Solid script; Light.” 

The word appeared above her, illuminating the immediate space and then some. It cast shadows of tree branches and foliage and the canopy above, which had completely blocked out the moonlight. Something about the rainforest seemed tense and evil in this light, and a slight breeze swayed the trees. 

Gajeel stepped out behind her, followed closely by Lily, who was now in his battle form. 

“‘Careful’ usually means ‘don’t go casting when we don’t know what we’re up against’.” 

“You have never followed that rule in your life, Gajeel.” Lily admonished. 

“Driver?” Levy tried again. There was a rustle in the nearby bushes, and the three of them tensed up, ready to strike. 

A small dog with reddish-pink fur jumped out, a white mouse clamped between its teeth. It studied the trio for a moment before scampering away. 

They watched as it took off, the mouse squeaking loudly, before a  _ pop _ sound - and then silence again. Although just the circle of life, something about it felt unsettling, unnatural.

Another rustle from the bushes sounded loudly, more clumsy. They steeled themselves for another attack, temporarily put off guard by the dog and the mouse. 

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I just had to go, you know?” The driver apologised, stepping out of the brush as he refitted his belt. 

Sighing collectively, and exhausted from the day, Levy, Gajeel and Lily began to reprimand him. 

“Why did you turn out the lights?” 

“Why’d you stop?” 

“Where have you been?” 

As they threw their questions all at once, he looked genuinely confused. 

“I just needed to  _ go!  _ I turned the lights out so… you know, I couldn’t be  _ spotted _ . It was only a couple of minutes.” 

Levy remembered an instance from the first day, and it had been rattling around inside her head ever since the coach had stopped.

_ “This letter was addressed specifically to you.”  _

She honestly hadn’t given it too much thought. There hadn’t so far been any reason for concern; she hadn’t even told Gajeel or Lily about it, as guilty as it made her feel. Levy decided she wouldn’t tell them. She wanted to prove she could handle it on her own, and besides the fact, she wasn’t even sure she should take it seriously to begin with. She’d seen more terrifying threats made with magazine letter cut-outs. That didn’t make her any less nervous, though. 

“A couple of minutes is all it would take for a successful ambush.” Lily explained, shrinking back into his regular form. 

“An ambush?” The driver questioned, scratching his head. “Why would there be an ambush?” 

It dawned on them, then, that the driver had no idea about the dark guild attacks. 

“Did the archaeology guys not explain anything, or have you got sand in your ears?” Gajeel groaned, glaring at the smaller man. Levy could tell the intimidation tactic wasn’t going to be productive in any way, but she wanted to know the truth too. 

“Archaeology guys? You mean the professors? They only told me I had to escort you guys to and from the dome. They never said anything about any dark guild.” 

“There’s no problem. Don’t worry about it. Let’s just get back on the road.” Levy tried to diffuse the situation, pushing Gajeel back into the carriage.

One thing stuck out in her mind.

_ We didn’t mention any dark guild. _

… 

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll pay. You’ve been working all day.” Gajeel stopped Levy at the turnstile, blocking her from pushing through. 

“It’s five hundred jewel.” She stared him down. 

He kept his arm firm across the turnstile, holding it still when she tried to push through anyway. Levy grunted as she struggled to move it, but Gajeel smirked. 

“Exactly. So stop bein’ a baby and just let me pay.” 

“No! What a waste of money. I’ll just pay for myself.” 

Lily and the attendant watched on in incredulity as the two bickered and Gajeel used his magic to block the turnstile completely, possibly causing damage in the process. 

“Did you guys say you were from Fairy Tail…?” The attendant asked, sighing. He glanced at the symbol on Lily’s back and Gajeel’s shoulder.

Lily nodded reluctantly. The turnstile cracked. Another thing added to Fairy Tail’s seemingly endless debt.

“Great, now it’s broken! You shoulda just let me pay.” 

“You say that like  _ I  _ was the one who broke it, you brute!” 

“I wouldn’t have had to use my magic if you’d just let me pay for ya.” 

Their once-flirtatious argument quickly turned to exasperation as they argued over who broke the turnstile. Lily shook his head, crossing his arms. 

“He may not have great discipline, but his strength is… something else, I suppose.” Lily closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh. “Just make out the request to ‘Makarov Dreyar, Master of Fairy Tail.’” 

After several more minutes of bickering, the attendant wearily let them through free of charge, and showed them to the change rooms. The three of them stood in front of the two doors, a women’s change room and a men’s change room. They nodded as they stepped through. 

Levy sat her satchel down inside a nearby locker, the door flung open. She set a fingerprint using the locker lacrima and began to take her clothes off. She stuffed them haphazardly in the locker and wrapped her towel around herself, remembering suddenly that she still had her headband on. Levy untied it at the nape of her neck, letting it fall gently into her palm as her fringe fell down, a slight kink to it from being held back. She shook her head like a dog, letting her curls fly out around her. Levy gently kicked the locker door shut, hearing its lock ‘click’. As she held her towel around her, she walked towards the door to the baths, fingers wrapping around the handle. She sighed happily, excited that she was finally able to relax, and pushed the door forward. 

When she stepped out, there was barely anyone there - a blessing, she decided, since she’d been talking to people all day - and the outdoors area was filled with steam. It smelt like fresh rain, and she admired the gardens around the baths at a glance. She could hear water trickling, likely from a fountain piece. As her eyes scanned the scene, she noticed a woman just leaving the baths. The woman smiled kindly at Levy, pushing past her to get to the door. Levy moved out of her way, and that’s when she noticed. 

She was staring straight at Gajeel and Lily, barely concealed by the steam.

“What are you two doing in the women’s bath?!” She exclaimed, pulling her towel tighter around herself. She could feel her face heating up, and she felt more than embarrassed to say the least.

“The women’s bath? This is the men’s area!” Gajeel replied, equally as embarrassed. Lily bowed his head out of respect for Levy, sensing the shame rising. 

“This is not the men’s area! This door very clearly has a female symbol on it!” She gestured to the door behind her. It had a large metal ‘W’ on it. 

“My door’s got one too, shrimp!” Gajeel argued, pointing at his own door. It had a matching ‘M’. 

For a second they both looked perplexed, and then it dawned on them. 

“ _ It’s a unisex bath _ ?!” They exclaimed at the same time. They looked away from each other, and Levy crossed her arms. 

“How did you not know?! You were here this morning!” Levy accused, trying to stand her ground. Even though he was three meters away, it still felt like he was looking down at her, all six feet of him. 

“Place was empty this morning! Give me a break!” He groaned, still not daring to look at her.

“It  _ is  _ odd that the attendant didn’t make us aware of the fact, though. Unisex bath houses aren’t exactly common.” Lily muttered.

They all considered his point in silence for a few moments. Feeling sullen, Gajeel was the first to speak. 

“We’ll go. We’ve already been here once today. Just get back safe, okay?” 

Levy felt some emotion stir in her chest. This  _ was _ an opportunity to spend time with Gajeel that wasn’t work-focused. Their twelve hour work days over the last week were draining, and they were often too tired to hang out besides going to get dinner or catching up on what had happened during the day. She had started to miss it terribly.

“No! I mean… you don’t have to go. We’ll just go in, one at a time, no peeking. The steam is thick enough that if we sit apart, we won’t be able to see each other…” She trailed off, internally hitting herself for saying something so stupid. She bashed herself more when she was met with silence. 

“...Sure. Okay, then. Sure.” He said. She wondered if he could hear her little heart, almost fluttering inside her rib cage. 

She stared as he started heading into the bath, dropping his towel. He turned his head back but his body remained forward, meeting her eyes.

“No peeking, remember?” 

Levy turned her whole body around, glaring at the wall, flustered. She listened as the water splashed slightly, and suddenly realised that Lily was nowhere to be seen. Had he flown off because he was uncomfortable? Or to give them privacy? 

“You can come in now.” She heard Gajeel call. She closed her eyes and let out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. 

Levy walked towards the hot spring, feeling the heat from the water brush against her. She dipped her right foot into the water, finding it almost scalding, but in a pleasant way. She gulped as she started to descend down the carved stairs, leaving her towel in a messy pile where the water met the stone floor. Looking up to avoid looking at him, she noticed that it was a cloudy night, but the stars were just visible, peering through. She spared a thought for Lucy, as she usually did when she gazed at the heavens above. 

_ And the field day she’s going to have when I tell her about this _ . 

The spring was deeper than she first thought. As she touched the floor she had absentmindedly continued walking until she had reached the point where the hot water met her chin. 

“Careful. This ain’t exactly the best place to go for a swim.” 

Trying to shake the nervous jitter she’d retained, she scrambled to think of something to bite back. 

“Why? Did you pee in here or something?” 

_ You idiot, Levy. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. _

Gajeel guffawed, and although she could just barely see him through the steam, she could tell he had one of those big, sharp, toothy smiles on his face. 

“Can’t say I usually ever piss in the pool. Why, did you?” 

“N-no!” Levy fought, splashing water towards him. “Never!” 

“That was so quick it was incriminating.” 

“Gajeel!” 

His laughter had levelled down to a chuckle, his typical mischievous ‘ _ gihi’ _ sound. Levy, whose nerves had almost evaporated, covered her chest instinctively. 

“What are you-”

She was met with what could only be described as a tidal wave of a splash, powerful enough that it submerged her entirely and pushed her further into the deep end. Making her way back up to the surface, she kicked her legs, realising she was far deeper than she thought. It felt like she was never going to reach the surface, and the water was pitch black in the dark of the night sky. Eventually, she resurfaced and swam back to where her feet could touch the ground.

“You were gone an awful long time.” Gajeel began. “Thought I was gonna have to come get ya.” 

“Sorry. I was exploring. Fascinating stuff down there.” 

“Oh yeah?” 

The water rippled as she assumed he’d moved towards her somewhat, and her heartbeat quickened. This wasn’t part of her plan. 

Gajeel was about two meters from her, and she covered her chest, feeling herself getting flustered. 

“H-hey! No peeking, remember?” 

“What? I can’t see anything.” 

At first, she thought he was referring to the steam, but when she saw the grin plastered on his face, she knew exactly what he was referring to. 

“Asshole,” She replied, her voice flat. She splashed him, crossing her arms instead of making the effort to cover herself. 

“Aw, c’mon Lev.” He whined mockingly. 

“I’m sensitive about that, yknow?” She closed her eyes, turning around. “And this was supposed to be about  _ relaxing,  _ too.” 

Gajeel grunted in response. She couldn’t see what he was doing, but in her imagination, she imagined he would come up behind her, hold her close to him and reassure her that it didn’t matter what she looked like, that he loved her all the same. Then they’d kiss and have a furious, flustered, hot makeout session in the steam. She tried to push the idea from her mind. 

Levy looked back, just to see what he  _ was _ doing, but he had completely vanished. Curious and filled with a sudden sense of dread, she only had a few moments to herself before she felt something around her legs.

She yelped as Gajeel lifted her out of the water on his shoulders.

“Gajeel!” She yelled, and she felt like she was going to simply die of embarrassment and shock. 

“Iron Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Backwards Suplex!” He called out, throwing her down into the water. 

“What?!” She screamed, but it was no use. His grip around her ankles tightened, and he swung backwards. Levy threw her arms out, to hold onto anything to stop her descent, but it was a fruitless appeal to the gods of gravity. 

Her back slammed hard against the water, and the air had been knocked out of her lungs. When she resurfaced, she glared at Gajeel.

“What the  _ fu-” _

“I saw Natsu do it to Lucy once and I wanted to try it.” He justified simply. 

Her face plastered with disbelief and shock, she blinked. 

“That… is  _ very _ different.” Levy admitted through gritted teeth. 

“How so?” 

“Lucy and Natsu are like…  _ together _ .” 

“Salamander? You’re joking.”

“It’s true!” 

“He’s as oblivious as a rock. He couldn’t put two and two together if he had three brain cells to do it with.” 

Levy used the water to push her wet hair away from her face. Gajeel’s hair now hung around him, too; he’d already moved it out of his face, but a few strands hung down in front. It was hard to be mad at him.

“I’m still mad at you.” 

“And what do you mean, it’s different because they’re  _ ‘together _ ’? Are we not partners?” 

The question burned into her brain. 

_ Partners. He thinks we’re partners. In the romantic sense? Or just for requests?  _

“I mean, that’s such a complicated question, and, you know…” She began, her face flushing. She was glad for the steam at that point. 

Sensing his confusion, it reaffirmed her theory that Gajeel was, like Natsu, as oblivious as a rock. 

“Yes. For guild purposes, we are partners.” 

“Better than team Shadow Gear?” 

Levy gave him a look. 

“Not at all. At least Jet and Droy wouldn’t try to do some weird version of a suplex on me.” 

Gajeel muttered something that sounded like ‘ _ In their dreams’ _ , but she decided not to acknowledge it. Her patience was wearing thin with this conversation and Gajeel’s presence in general after the long day. A small ache had started to form behind her eyes, and the hot springs weren’t exactly helping much. 

“I’m sorry, Lev. I won’t try to suplex you again.” 

“It’s okay, Gajeel. I am getting really tired though, so I think I’m gonna head back. I’ll pick up my own dinner on the way.” 

It wasn’t often that she  _ didn’t _ want to be around Gajeel, but she felt he’d pushed several boundaries tonight that she wasn’t comfortable with. He probably didn’t even realise he was doing it. 

“If you say so.” He responded flatly, almost disappointed.

Levy crawled up the stairs, remembering she was completely nude, and grabbed her towel to cover herself before she left the cover of the water and steam. She sighed dejectedly as she walked to the women’s change room, thinking about all the ways  _ that  _ could have gone better. 

She pulled the door back, and stepped into the change room. Levy used the towel to put her hair up in a turban while she headed towards her locker. 

It was completely open. 

Trying to remember if she’d actually closed it amid her excitement to use the hot springs. She rummaged through her things, checking if anything was missing. Lo and behold, it was all there; nothing was missing. She chalked it up to not paying attention, and dressed. 

Apologising again to the attendant, Levy bowed and walked through the exit; stepping over a certain broken turnstile. She waltzed out into the street, feeling guilty about having left Gajeel to his own devices, but she was sure she was going to lose it if she stuck around. Exhaustion was an unparalleled beast.

Feeling better that she was about to eat and immediately pass out thereafter, Levy almost skipped along the cobblestone street, lit up by few street lamps. 

She didn’t even notice the shadow that followed her home. 


	4. iris

“So you suplexed her?” 

“Yes.”

“In the hot springs? A place specifically for relaxation?” 

“Yes.” 

“And you were both naked?”

“Yes, Lily. What about this is confusing to you?” 

The cat cackled. They were sitting in front of the fireplace in their room, bodies soaking up the warmth. Lily had a wide-toothed comb, gently working at the tangles at the ends of Gajeel’s hair. It had fluffed up significantly after being exposed to the warm fire, and as soft as it was, it was still tangles galore. 

“Nothing is confusing, Gajeel. I’m just in awe. That’s very... bold.” 

Dragging a hand down his face, Gajeel groaned. 

“It was stupid, is what it was. I freaked out. I made a joke about her tits.” 

“This gets worse with every revelation.” 

Lily began to separate single strands from a large knot, and Gajeel winced. Lily did the same, but mostly from second-hand embarrassment.

“She was so pissed, too. I could tell.” 

“I can’t imagine she was particularly pleased, as forgiving as she is. Did you apologise?” 

“I tried to. She brushed it off.” 

Smiling fondly, Lily finally worked the knot. 

“You are many things, Gajeel,” He began, going back in with the comb. 

“But tact isn’t one of them.” 

“Yeah, well- I mean, that’s what she’s for. Not that she’s only here for that, but… she makes up for my weaknesses. Which is tact, apparently; being small… and being smart.” 

Gajeel gestured animatedly as he spoke, staring at the wall ahead of him. He had definitely choked; he wasn’t expecting Levy to invite him into the hot springs like that. He would’ve been fine giving her privacy, but never in his wildest dreams did he think that  _ the whole event  _ would happen. He had tried to act cool, and he completely choked. Plus, she was  _ naked _ . How was he supposed to act? It wasn’t like he’d ever been around a naked woman before. 

_ My secret shame. Virginity. _

He sighed heavily. 

“Maybe you should just be honest with her. Tell her how you feel.” 

Gajeel thought about something that had happened long ago. Sometimes, he still dreamt about it, waking up in a cold sweat. And when it was over and done with, he decided he would always leave it up to her; it depended entirely on her.

“Not an option. I want the ball to be in her court.” 

“Then you’ll probably never get an answer.”

Gajeel furrowed his brows. He heard footsteps down the hallway. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

A knock at the door, small and quick raps. Expecting her, Gajeel got up steadily to open the door, and Lily watched blankly as he took off, comb still stuck in his hair. 

As he swung the door open, he saw not Levy, but a short, thin man wearing a red uniform. It almost matched the carpet in the hotel’s hallways, a deep rich scarlet colour with yellow tassels on either side. The only difference was the black accents and the familiar emblem on the front of his hat; he was a postmaster. 

“Letter for McGarden, Levy!” He blurted nervously, holding the letter out and bowing his head. Holding onto one side of the door frame, Gajeel tilted his head curiously. 

“She’s the next room. I’m Redfox, Gajeel, and this is Lily, Panther.” He explained lazily, gesturing an open palm towards himself and Lily. The cat snickered. 

Not wasting a breath, the postmaster drew his arm back and then thrust it out again. 

“I have been told specifically to deliver this letter to this room!” 

Unable to spare energy even to mock or patronise him, Gajeel took the letter.

“Scram.” 

The postmaster took off down the hall, at a fast walking speed, passing Levy’s room. 

“I wonder what this is about. Don’t think we’ve told anyone at the guild where we’re staying, besides Erza.” 

“Let alone room numbers. However, the penmanship is too… legible, to be Erza’s.” Lily added, flying up to perch himself on the bed. Gajeel sat beside him, one leg up on the mattress. He flipped the letter over in his hands, furrowing his brows. He sniffed the envelope just for good measure.

“Anything?” Lily asked, eyes glued to the envelope. 

“Nothin’. Just smells like paper and ink. Hints of sandalwood.”

“You would have been an excellent perfumer, Gajeel.”

Both of them were silent for a moment, gaze moving from the letter to each other’s eyes. 

“We should give it to her.” Lily suggested. 

“Absolutely.” Gajeel agreed.

“Even though it was specifically for this room, that was likely a mistake.” 

“Couldn’t agree with you more.”

“Reading someone else’s mail is an invasion of their privacy.” 

“Of course.” 

The pair maintained eye contact for a moment more. Gajeel turned a finger into a shape that vaguely resembled a letter-opener, and stuck it into the open space above where the envelope had been stuck down. Lily watched on eagerly, absentmindedly pushing his arms up on Gajeel’s knee. 

Pausing, Gajeel’s conscience was able to get through to him. He sighed.

“We can’t do this. She’s already upset at us.” He admitted, turning his finger back. 

“ _ ‘Us’ _ ? You mean she’s upset at  _ you _ . I flew off to give you both privacy.” 

“She’ll be upset with you too if we rummage through her mail!” 

The distinct scent of responsibility and maturity lingered in the air. Pantherlily nodded solemnly.

“You’re right. How could we even have thought for a moment that this would be okay?” 

“Dunno.” Gajeel admitted. He set the letter down on the bed. Lily moved behind him, beginning to work on removing the comb. The crackling of the fire and the dreadful noise of his hair tearing, strand by strand, overloaded his hearing. 

“My senses are still heightened, too.” He began, bringing his other leg up onto the bed. He held them to his chest loosely, gripping onto his other wrist. 

“They are?” Lily asked, paws still separating his hair. 

“Yeah. At the hot springs, too, even worse. It’s got me on edge, and I don’t like it.” 

“Like what, ‘ _ at the hot springs _ ’?” 

“Not sure. I could hear Lev, her heartbeat, her breathing. I could hear the water and the fizzle of the steam. But I could also hear this low buzz, like a vibration. It felt unnatural.” 

Lily hummed understandingly. 

“Do you think it’s worth investigating? If you can pinpoint where exactly from the hot springs the sound is coming from, we could work on finding its source.” 

Gajeel shook his head. His fluffy hair moved with him, and Lily lost control of the brush for a moment as it swayed just out of his grasp. He was able to grab onto it once the shaking had stopped, and scoffed as it was more tangled, then, to begin with.

“It came and went. Almost completely went by the time I started heading home. Could’ve been a nearby shop or somethin’, closing up for the night. Anyhow, I don’t think it’s worth investigating on top of whoever’s been lurking around our rooms.” 

“Speaking of that,” Lily started, a figurative lightbulb appearing over his head. “I have reason to believe it could be a shapeshifter, or someone who can travel through shadows, much like Rogue and yourself.”

“Do tell. I ain’t been able to trace a scent.”

“I thought I spotted them a few nights ago, a few balconies away. They jumped on to Levy’s, and I flew over; it’s quite the distance, considering she’s just next door. Whatever it was saw me coming, and moved back. It was four-legged, I’m certain, but I lost it quickly in the brush just outside the hotel. It vanished.” 

Gajeel lifted a hand to his chin, thumb moving soothingly over the piercings there as he took in this new information. 

“Four-legged, huh? You would’ve scanned the area after.” 

“I did. I don’t think it’s  _ just _ an animal. I think that perhaps it’s someone who can use shapeshift or takeover magic.”

“Mira’s sister can do that sort of thing.” 

“But Lisanna retains a somewhat large portion of her human form. I think this person can change completely.” 

Lily finally rescued the comb from Gajeel’s unforgiving tangles, throwing it down onto the floor. He’d pick it up after. He laid flat on his back on the bed, exhausted from the endeavour.

“Keep in mind, this is hypothetical until I can gather more information. I’m thinking of a way to trap whatever - or whoever - this is, or at least a way to track them.” Lily huffed, closing his eyes and throwing his arms out beside him. 

“How do you propose that?” 

Gajeel’s mind had started to tick, thinking of ways to  _ apprehend _ and  _ question  _ them. Could they be from the dark guild? Did they know who Gajeel, Lily and Levy were? What was their aim? Their motive? 

“Not sure yet. I was thinking that we could wander about town, look for a magic shop. See what they have that could help.” 

Gajeel grunted in response, head starting to hurt from the sensory overload. It was like he could feel every individual strand of velvet on the blanket beneath him, and hear every tiny crackle and pop of the fire. 

“I’m gonna try to sleep.” He announced, more to himself than to Lily, moving the letter to one of the bedside tables. “And could you put out that fire? It’s way too loud.” 

Lily nodded, standing and sliding down the blanket hanging over the side of the bed; it would’ve been a waste to use aera for something a couple meters away. He set to work on putting out the fire, using the fire poke to spread the embers. 

Gajeel pulled the layered blankets back, settling into the same spot he’d laid in since they had arrived, and turned on his side. He gazed at the letter, and just beyond that, the block of half-carved iron. He’d started work on that the second or third night, remembering how Levy was transfixed by that expensive bracelet. It wasn’t much, but he was putting effort into carving out a similar one for her, and he hoped that would be enough. She was too nice to outright refuse something if she didn’t like it, so he tried not to worry about that. 

Hearing the fire die down after a splash, Gajeel squinted his eyes shut, trying to force sleep. The lights turned off, and he felt Lily climb up into the bed, resting near his feet. 

“Cat,” He said.

“Yes?” Lily responded. 

“You have your own bed.” 

Lily simply snuggled in tighter, pulling the top blanket around himself. Gajeel sighed. 

“It’s a cool night.” Lily explained. 

Gajeel didn’t fight that, not really too bothered by it. In fact, he was almost glad that Lily had chosen to do so. A challenge every now and then was healthy for their friendship, and he secretly longed for it after seeing Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch’s bonds. Natsu and Happy weren’t necessarily the same, in his experience, and Wendy and Carla had more of a ‘maternal’ relationship. 

With the room as silent as it was going to get, Gajeel tried to focus on the sounds behind the wall. He could hear her heartbeat, slightly out of rhythm, and her deep breathing. Gajeel wondered, as he often did, what she was dreaming about. That was enough for him to finally drift off to sleep.

…

The next day in the carriage was, in a word, awkward. Levy stared blankly out the window as Gajeel hunched over, and Lily could almost  _ see _ the tension. There was a thick fog outside that blanketed the dense rainforest, and a humidity that seemed odd for mid-late autumn. The three had opted for warmer clothing, sundresses and short sleeved tops. Gajeel was wearing his new boots, with their shiny leather and clean iron embellishments. He’d paid top jewel for them, and was more than satisfied when he’d picked them up that morning from the family-owned cobbler in town. 

By now, it had completely been a week since they arrived in Mistshore. Gradual progress was being made by Levy, Duplaine and his team of naive but intelligent interns on translating the texts, but they were still stumped on the complex writing style that used bits and pieces from all different languages, dead and alive. Some of them were upside down, others carved in reverse; the ink texts were no different. Symbols and runes, characters and letters with seemingly no order to the chaos. 

Gajeel could feel his stomach turn, and he clutched it tighter, hoping that the pressure would somehow relieve the nausea. He longed for Levy’s usual comforting touch, waiting for her delicate fingers to gently trace on his back or to draw circles on his shoulder with her thumb, but there was nothing. She crossed her legs away from him, still daydreaming, eyes still glaring out the window. Her head was propped up on one elbow, which in turn was propped up on the window sill of the coach. 

The vehicle flew over a deep divet in the road, and Gajeel could feel something come up his throat before he pushed it back down. There was no way in hell he was going to make things worse by projectile vomiting inside the carriage. 

“What will we be working on today, Levy?” Lily spoke finally, but it sounded garbled as Gajeel processed it through the motion sickness. 

“Paper texts today. Duplaine mentioned something about a series of drawings following the one we found on a tablet. It’ll be an early finish today, though; there have been some ruins a bit further out where they’ve found some fossils from an ancient city, and he’s been asked to bring the interns and assess them. I want to stay and have a crack at working on them by myself, though.” She explained, slowly becoming more animated. 

_ Thank god,  _ Gajeel thought.  _ If I have to look at that creepy moustache one more time... _

“Are the interns a bother when trying to translate?” 

Levy looked surprised for a moment. The question had caught her off guard. 

“No, not at all!” She waved her hands in front of her.

“I mean, some of them are really intelligent, like Vol or Eve or even Rebecca. But I’m more of a lone wolf when it comes to things like this.” 

_ Lone wolf. Because she doesn’t want to be partners anymore.  _

“Of course. You have done your best work solo, after all.” Lily prided. 

_ Stupid cat.  _

“Well, I mean, Jet and Droy have never really been able to help too much. Neither has Gajeel,” She smiled, smacking him lightly on the back. He groaned. 

“And while I love Lucy - and she’s always a great help! - she doesn’t exactly make quick work of whatever she’s got. I prefer to check and double check everything myself. There’s a lot less miscommunication that way.” 

“That makes sense,” Lily agreed. “And you would know your bearings to a tee.” 

“Exactly.” Levy beamed, putting her elbow up again so she could rest her head on her hands. 

“Is there anything we know about the drawings?” Lily asked, tilting his head. 

Levy shook her head reluctantly, already zoning back out. 

“Not really. They’re confusing to begin with.” 

The coach came to a slow stop. Levy and Lily grabbed their bags and satchels, and she scooped Gajeel’s up as well. He stumbled out of the carriage after them, hands on his knees as he willed the nausea out of his system. 

“Come on, Gajeel,” Levy whined, placing her hands on her hips. “You do this every time.” 

“Quit your whining, shrimp. If you could feel even a fraction of this,  _ you’d _ be in my position too.” 

“I’m sure,” She responded sarcastically. 

The gates to the dome swung inward slowly, and none other than Duplaine himself walked steadily out. Wearing a safari-style hat and comically oversized glasses, he moved beside Levy. Gajeel spared him a glance, snickering to himself as he was reminded that Duplaine and Levy were almost the same height. 

“Levy! And Pantherlily,” He greeted excitedly, placing an arm around both of them. At some point during Gajeel’s moaning and groaning, Lily had turned into his battle form. 

“And… Gajeel.” Duplaine muttered flatly. 

Gajeel gave him a half-assed wave and a smirk, spitting into the grass. 

“Good to see you, too.” 

Duplaine sneered, his obvious distaste for the dragon slayer on full display.

_ At least he ain’t pretending anymore. _

“Anyway, we’re just on our way out. The dome and all of its amenities are yours for the day, and some of the interns have graciously prepared workspaces for you. There’s also several jugs of water in the refrigerator for you, since our plumbing is currently out. I’ve arranged for the carriage to pick you up early in the evening, although Beneé will be here in the late afternoon to go over our recovery notes, so you won’t be completely alone all day.” He explained. 

Levy’s face seemed to light up, for just a second, but her smile faded into one of pity. She looked pained. 

“Thank you, Duplaine. That’s very kind of you and the interns to do.” 

“It’s no trouble at all, Miss McGarden. And no need to worry about locking up, Beneé will handle it. I bid you adieu,” Duplaine waved, a steady stream of interns filing out behind him as several carriages arrived. They greeted Levy and Lily on their way out, smiling widely, but none dared disturb Gajeel, which bothered him. It wasn’t like he was one to bite. 

They poured into the carriages, squeezing in and joking around like school children, and Gajeel could hear all of their conversations, but just barely over the mechanical roaring of the carriages. As they pulled out, he noticed that Levy and Lily had already headed inside. 

Passing through the gate, something felt  _ off _ . Gajeel wasn’t particularly sure  _ what _ ; maybe it was the lack of the jovial interns or Duplaine’s obnoxious voice booming around the dome, welcoming them inside for  _ another monumental day of making history! _

He paused in the doorway, pressing the button that closed the gate, and spared a glance behind him. That was when he saw it.

The reddish-pink dog, in the middle of the road, staring in an almost human-like way. It made him uncomfortable as he watched it lick its chops, only to be concealed by the gate as it roughly settled shut, the clattering resonating again and again in his ears. 

…

“It’s just impossible.” Levy sighed, taking off her glasses so she could rub her eyes. She set them down on the work bench beside one of the paper texts, one of many. Gajeel held a few of them in his hand, trying to make sense of them himself. 

“It’s all different letters and characters,” He noted. “May as well be using numbers.” 

“I’ve never been stumped like this,” Levy admitted half-heartedly, grabbing at the glass of water she’d rested on a stool next to her. She didn’t dare place it anywhere near the priceless texts. 

“That’s big coming from you,” Gajeel responded, giving up on trying to read them. He set them down, gently, where he found them. 

“But I’ve got faith you can do it. If anyone can, it’s you, Lev.” 

She smiled warmly, crossing her arms on the work bench. 

“Maybe we should take a break. Take a look at something else. We’ve still got the murals to look at.” 

“Might have more luck deciphering it if we’ve got a visual.” 

Levy tapped the side of her head. 

“Now you’re thinking like a translator,” She smirked. 

Gajeel scoffed.

“I’m only helping you ‘cause I’m bored. Don’t think this is gonna be a regular thing.”

“I think, deep down, you love this kind of stuff.” She teased, taking a sip from a glass of water.

He did enjoy a challenge, and even though he preferred  _ physical _ challenges, sometimes something mentally stimulating was good for him. As much as he made fun of Levy for being a bookworm, he was interested in how her mind ticked, and this particular exercise was a Grade-A example.

She twisted on the stool, so that she could comfortably slide down from it (which was  _ quite _ the sight, since the stools were above her hips to begin with; it was like watching a caricature come to life). Quickly, she moved towards a workbench in the centre of the dome, where a clay tablet lay flipped over, mural side up. 

Gajeel’s eyes followed her as she walked, and then he felt compelled to walk over himself. Levy looked back at him, and her honey eyes caught flecks of the sun as their gazes met. It was the quiet moments like these, where he could take her in completely and without distraction, that he felt appreciative for.

He tried not to take too much notice.

Levy pointed towards the mural vaguely as he approached, turning her head back to the issue at hand. 

“It’s pretty faded, but you can make out what most of it looks like.” She noted, furrowing her brow. Gajeel gave it a good once-over, noticing that the joined lines in the center looked like a giant hovering over three people. 

“It looks like a giant hovering over three people.” He said matter-of-factly.

“Yeah. But what are these lines? It looks like he’s radiating heat - or magic power. I can’t see any connection to a lacrima here, which was the hypothetical focus of all this.” 

Levy was right; nothing signified a lacrima on the mural. They both stood in silence as they took it in. 

It was dusty, for sure. Gajeel grabbed one of the soft-bristled brushes left on the bench and began to gently sweep at the paint. Levy softly gasped at first, unsure of what he was doing, and had reached out to stop him, but just as quickly pulled herself back.

Gajeel’s small and careful strokes swept grains of dirt and flaky clay away from the mural, but the result wasn’t much clearer than what they could already see. 

“Only one thing sticks out a bit more,” Gajeel said. He set the brush down by the tablet, crossing his arms afterward.

“I see it, too.” Levy acknowledged.

“The icon in the upper right corner.” 

Said icon was a pointed-oval shape, with a ring around it and three dots along the middle. The middle dot was larger than the other two, and they sat in a perfect straight line. Surrounding the ring were teardrop-like shapes, perfectly diagonal to each other. The deep, red ochre colour of the mural reminded Levy of a particular letter she had received. 

“Wait,” She muttered, moving Gajeel out of her way so she was viewing it from the side. 

From the side, it looked like an eye with three pupils, crying blood. 

“The Blooded Chapter sees all…” She recalled, scoffing with relief. 

“The Blooded Chapter?” Gajeel questioned. He moved, too, to see the icon from the side.

“The dark guild that’s supposedly been attacking here. They said that in the letter, remember? ‘ _ The Blooded Chapter sees all _ ’.” Levy explained, hands working quickly to take down notes of it. 

Gajeel watched her in disbelief as she scribbled quickly on the paper pad beside her, eyes darting back and forth from the page to the tablet. He was struck with confusion; he hadn’t given her the letter yet. 

“What letter?” 

She paused, realisation sinking in. She had never told him nor Lily about the death threat. 

“Lev?” 

Her lips parted, as if she were going to say something, but quickly shut her mouth. 

“I’ll explain it later, alright?” 

“They ‘ _ see all _ ’? What does that mean?” 

“I said I’ll explain it _ later _ .” She huffed. Gajeel blinked at the out-of-character aggression.

“Is this about last night? ‘Cause, you know, I  _ do _ want to apologise about that.” 

Levy set her pencil down and rubbed her eyes. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she sighed heavily. The frustration radiated off of her in waves, and he instantly regretted saying anything at all.

“Gajeel, I have a  _ killer _ headache. And I have this pain in my stomach that I’ve been taking painkillers for, but it only seems to make it worse. I haven’t been sleeping well, and when I  _ can  _ sleep, it’s very shallow. I’m exhausted. 

“So when I say that last night was possibly  _ the cherry on top _ of an already stressful and weary week, I want you to know that that isn’t an insult to you, but rather a descriptor. And the hot springs certainly weren’t the place to try out some wrestling moves on me, and certainly not when I was just trying to  _ relax _ and  _ have a conversation _ with you that  _ wasn’t  _ about this stupid request, or your weird fixation with hating Duplaine, or whatever it is that you and Lily are talking about without me.” 

Gajeel’s mouth dropped. 

Now that he was really looking, he could see it in her face. The exhaustion, the dark circles under her eyes; she didn’t look well at all. Levy’s hair was flatter, without its usual bounce, and she moved with a barely-there fatigue that she had so far done well to hide. Her eyelids sat heavily above her golden eyes, and in the stunned silence after her honest admission, he could hear her heartbeat, pounding fast but without a steady rhythm; just like the night before.

He didn’t know what to say - or do - next. They’d had arguments before, sure, but this didn’t seem like that. It felt more like she was finally letting off steam, like a pressure cooker that had finally given out and exploded. 

She glared at him, as if she was expecting an answer. But what could he say that would satisfy her? Anything felt like it would be grasping at straws. 

Levy closed her eyes and bowed her head, exhaling. 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be taking this out on you; it’s not your fault.” 

“Don’t apologise,” Gajeel stammered. He was reaching for words, anything that sounded right. 

“You’re stressed. It happens. Just… never seen you so honest, is all.” 

She didn’t dare look up at him, feeling ashamed. 

“I’m sorry. About last night. Honestly, I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking. I freaked out.” He admitted, brushing a hand along the back of his neck. Gajeel took her silence as she was listening.

“I didn’t realise this was all taking such a toll on you. This is usually your element, so I didn’t think you’d want any help. I don’t hate Duplaine. I just hate the way he acts around you. Guy needs to learn about personal space. And if you wanna know what Lily and I are always talkin’ about, just ask. About time we told you, anyway.” 

He studied her, blue hair obscuring his view of her face. She was perfectly still, resting on her arms, which were in turn resting on the table. Was it right to shove his apology into the silence? Gajeel started to question it. He was still learning how to communicate properly, and his years of skulking around in Phantom Lord meant that he still had quite a way to go.

He heard a sniffle. 

“Lev?” 

Her hands flew up to her face, and she turned to face him. Wiping at her eyes again, Levy gave the most genuine smile he’d seen all day. 

“We can talk about this all later, okay? I actually have something I meant to tell you and Lily about.” 

Confused, but content with the response, Gajeel nodded. 

“Let’s just focus on this right now, while we can. The quicker it’s over with, the quicker we can go home.” 

…

Beneé had come hours later, just as they were leaving. Gajeel looked up at the corkboard Levy had wheeled out into the open area, and the pieces of paper they had tacked up; shabby recreations of the murals and icons and drawings on all the texts (neither of them were particularly good artists) and a series of assumptions or guesses beneath each one. Of course, without knowing what anything said, making said assumptions or guesses was a fruitless task, but one that helped speed up the time they had to spend doing so. 

Levy had made progress somewhat on deciphering individual characters or letters; she’d started to categorise them by region, dialect and sound. Many of them still evaded her, and the books she’d read so far in the dome’s gigantic library didn’t contain any of them, nor any interpretations or information that could point her toward the goal. However, the books Levy  _ had _ read were few in comparison to the levels full of shelves, so she held out hope that she’d see them yet. 

Stuffing several of them into her backpack, Levy decided to take one of the texts with her. The focus so far had mainly been on the tablets, despite Duplaine always harping on about the paper records, so she figured that taking a couple pages back to the hotel to study couldn’t hurt; she  _ did _ do her best work on her own, after all, and she had far more material she could use to cross-reference among the things she’d packed. The only reason she hadn’t been able to use it, aside from the migraines and abdomen pains she had been experiencing, was simply because she couldn’t fit all of it in her bag.

“Shrimp, c’mon! Coach is outside,” Gajeel called out to her from the bottom level as he and Lily packed up their own things. A kiwi fruit slipped out of Lily’s bag, and still in his battle form, the Exceed scrambled after it as it rolled along the floor, and landed at the feet of an unfamiliar stranger.

The stranger picked it up, holding it out to Lily. Gajeel turned at the barely-familiar scent that was invading his nostrils, every cell in his body ready to strike. He recognised the man, who was of average height and wore a one-armed monocle, as Mr Beneé, and the defensiveness he suddenly felt subsided. 

“Beneé,” He greeted unenthusiastically. The archaeologist nodded with a half-smile, tipping his hat to the two men.

“Mr Redfox, wonderful to see the place is spick and span. No dark guilds giving you any trouble so far?”

“None that we’ve seen,” Gajeel responded, a bit more alert at the mention of that; the whole reason he was there. It was easy to forget that the work being done at the dome was invaluable, and also at the risk of being destroyed by a dark guild. 

_ The Blooded Chapter, _ Gajeel corrected himself mentally.  _ That’s the name. _

“How odd. We were constantly under assail during the excavation and transportation of the texts and scripts here.” 

Lily eyed the kiwi fruit, still in the man’s hand. 

“You must be Pantherlily, I believe. I’ve heard about you from Duplaine.”

“I’m interested in what he’s had to say,” Lily spoke, taking the kiwi and carefully placing it back into his satchel, as if it were made of glass. 

“Only good things, to be sure. Where is Miss McGarden?” Beneé looked around.

Levy appeared suddenly beside Gajeel, and if he couldn’t have smelt and heard her approach, it would’ve reminded him of Juvia and her freakish ability to frighten him in a similar manner.

“Wonderful to see you again, sir.” Levy greeted, holding out her hand to shake. Beneé took it, shook it and let it go again. He seemed the most human of the trio of archeologists to Gajeel, between Otterweld, whose absence made him seem more like a concept than a person, and Duplaine, for…  _ obvious _ reasons. 

“Much progress made so far? I know I’m here to check in, but Duplaine has been particular about withholding your work. I suspect he’s hoarding it all to himself.” Beneé chortled, obviously aware of Duplaine’s behaviour. 

“He’s… something, isn’t he?” She acknowledged bashfully, looking away as she realised what he was saying.

“Not too harsh of an employer, I’m sure. He’s quite the fan.”

“You’re telling me,” Gajeel muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. Levy elbowed him.  _ Hard _ .

“Unfortunately all of my notes are a bit scattered, but everything we’ve done today is on the corkboard in the dome. Nothing definitive yet, as you’ll see, but we’ve worked out that whoever wrote and recorded the information in the texts used multiple languages, and there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.”

“Well, that seems more hopeful than what Duplaine told me. I’ll let you go, I’d want to leave as soon as I could if I were you lot.” Beneé joked, passing them and entering the dome. 

The trio made their way to the gate, which was wide open. They saw their coach awaiting them, but Gajeel noticed that their driver was different to the one they’d had over the last week. When he thought about it, he wasn’t entirely sure it was the usual driver that morning, either. It didn’t seem like a huge deal, and as his body fought with his mind about getting into the nauseating vehicle, it managed to completely slip from his mind. 

The carriage pulled away from the dome, heading off full-speed back towards the sleepy seaside town of Mistshore. Levy and Lily chattered excitedly about dinner and a restaurant that had just opened not too far from the hotel, and Gajeel tried to listen in, to no avail; between his urge to vomit and his senses as jumbled as they were, affected even more so by the motion sickness, it was a wonder he could hear them at all. 

And if that was a wonder, suppose then that it was then an unfortunate miracle that he couldn’t smell the body of the previous coach driver, hidden lazily behind some of the rainforest scrub, laying in wait to be collected by a certain four-legged, reddish-pink dog.

…

Beneé stood in horror before the corkboard, a cold chill down his spine. He began to tear away at the icons of the Blooded Chapter that Levy and Gajeel had posted, but fear prevented him from doing any more damage. The deafening silence of the dome was soon accompanied by utter darkness, the warm chandeliers blown out all at once, and the faint glow of the faraway stars illuminated the dome just enough that he could see the small woman treading towards him, as if walking on hind legs despite her human frame.

“Rika,” He gulped, scrunching the papers tighter in his fists. 

“They’re getting close,” The young woman noted, ignoring the petrified man before her. She examined the work on the corkboard, taking down a few pages of the redrawn murals. She folded them neatly and placed them in her back pocket.

“This wasn’t part of the deal.”

“Zuriel says the deal is off. There’s far more interesting game now than you and your senile cronies.” Rika shared. The studs in her collar glinted in the starlight as she tilted her head towards him.

“You can’t possibly-!”

“It means you aren’t  _ needed _ anymore, Wilbur. We’ve had a change in plans, and we need to destaff accordingly. Consider it being  _ let go _ .”

Beneé inhaled shakily.

“Zuriel said that nothing would happen until you all got back to Bosco-”

“What part of my presence is confusing to you?” Rika mused, rolling her eyes. “Zuriel has made his choice, and I’m simply here to carry it out. Mistshore will be just... one more  _ ruin _ dotting the Western Continent. I put that in terms you can understand, right, Mr Archaeologist?”

“Rika,” Beneé begged.

“Please! Don’t do this! I can be useful, I swear, anything-”

“You’re boring me now. Once those Fairy Tail idiots finally finish translating all of this, people like you will be so easily disposed of. All for the greater cause, of course.”

Beneé choked back a sob. 

“Rika, please! Tell Zuriel-”

Beneé’s blood splattered along the terracotta tile, and his body fell, hitting the ground with a hard  _ thump _ as he struggled. He gagged, trying to speak, but the fresh wound on his throat disallowed him the final mercy. His assailant stood over him.

“Tell the Devil we said hello."


	5. closer

_ The tree always stood in the park, tall and unyielding, a constant reminder. She cast it a side-long glance, clutching the book she was holding closer to her chest, tightening her grip until her knuckles turned white.  _

_ It had been five months since the Phantom Lord attack, and some things weren’t so easily erased. Like the flinch she couldn’t control when he appeared near her, or the cruel way the tree swayed, as if simply for her, on her walks around the town. The spot where she had been crucified; the only physical reminder being the bolt holes in the trunk, three sets of them, side by side.  _

_ Levy’s brain had worked to block out much of the attack itself, bruises and swollen wounds, but she remembered the way he branded her, painting the Phantom Lord emblem onto her stomach with nothing but his fingers. The rough way he handled her, tugging her by the wrist as if she weighed nothing at all, elevating himself near the tree. The way she could see Jet, already strung up, and Droy, unconscious on the dewy grass. _

_ The man muttered something about payback, about revenge, but she couldn’t catch it. She didn’t even know who he was.  _

…

Levy felt her body jolt itself awake. She was no stranger to sleep twitches, but the jolts were usually accompanied by a nightmare or times of stress. Her dream, which was more of a remembrance than anything, came a few times a year since it had happened. Seven years was a lot of time to reflect on something that barely had any effect on her anymore. 

Her eyelids fluttered as she adjusted to the darkness of the room. The ashes in the fireplace were barely lit anymore, the fire having died long ago. The window and glass door were shut and locked, of her own volition, and the sheer under-layer of curtains pulled across. Levy thought about sitting on the balcony for a few minutes, to get in some fresh air, but decided against it. 

She sat up, exhaling sharply through her nose as the nausea and stomach pains started up again. Touching a hand to her stomach, it felt like someone was pinching her intestines over and over again, sharp and prolonged pangs that hurt worse than food poisoning from Jet’s abysmal cooking. Levy eyed the blister packet of painkillers she’d left on the bedside table, and wondered if it would be worth taking them. They hadn’t done much to help so far. 

Pushing the blankets back, she groaned in agony; the pain was at its worst when she was waking up, and this was the worst it had been so far. Of course, it would subside throughout the day, giving her a chance to go about life as normal, but it ebbed and flowed. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she braced herself for the headache that would start up as soon as she stood up. 

And when she stood up, it did indeed.

She raised a hand to her temple, breathing deeply and reaching for the blister packet. To hell with it; if it worked, it worked, and if it didn’t, it could at least take the edge off. There was a brief light-headedness as she popped out two painkillers, swallowing them dry, and she stumbled towards the bathroom. Moving off of the rug to the cold tile, Levy realised she felt quite warm. 

She flicked on the bathroom light switch, and a lacrima ceiling lamp illuminated the space, dousing it in a cool-toned light. The emerald green tiles felt just as gaudy and ostentatious as the rest of the hotel, although the green didn’t compliment the red of the main room at all. Levy stumbled to the wooden counter, and placed her hands on either side of the basin, resting them on the black marble countertop. 

As her eyes adjusted to the sudden light, she stared into the mirror. 

She looked haggard, she thought; her usually bouncy blue locks sat flatly against her head, but that could be fixed with a shampoo and conditioner. She had dark circles under her eyes, from lack of sleep, and her skin seemed ghastly. Lifting a hand to her cheek, she sighed, defeated. Pretending she wasn’t getting sicker by the day wasn’t going to work anymore, especially not when it was showing so obviously. 

A sudden pain in her abdomen struck her, and she moved her arms to cross them over the area, hunching over. Working together with the nausea, the abdomen pain made quick work of Levy. She quickly pulled herself back up, sinking her head further towards the basin, and vomited. 

It felt like it was going forever, and by the time she had finished, her eyes were watering and she felt completely drained. Peering into the sink, she spotted what looked like a blood clot. 

_ Wonderful. _

Wondering how difficult it would be to get in contact with Porlyusica, and if it was worth the aggravation, she turned the faucet on and let the water wash away the evidence. 

Levy moved to sit on the cool tiles. She felt like she was overheating, and laying down on the cold floor usually helped. She groaned again as another pang hit her, the usual knife-twisting sensation. It couldn’t be her period; she wasn’t due for another two weeks, and it would have come by now if it was. 

Ruling out food poisoning was easy; it wouldn’t have continued this long if it was, and she wouldn’t be able to keep food down. Was it the environment? An allergy to something she was being continually exposed to? Was it just a regular sickness, one that her body was trying too hard to fight off? 

She raised a hand to her forehead, where the headache’s pounding was most prominent, finally noticing the small tremor that had overtaken her entire body. Levy thought about Duplaine, and the texts, and the blood in the sink. Working that day was out of the question, and even the workaholic in her could see that. She needed to rest up, maybe see a local doctor. 

_ I just want this to be over with. I just want to go back home.  _

Levy heard the door to her room slowly open, creaking slightly. It should have been locked. Her heartbeat started to race, a new anxiety taking over as the letter came to mind. She moved from the floor to the corner of the room, sliding up the wall as she awaited the intruder. 

_ Shine? It could blind them, giving me a chance to escape. If I can get around them and kick in the back of their knees, I can immobilise them just long enough to get to Gajeel... _

Deciding on that spell, Levy raised her hands, ready to strike. 

The footsteps seemed to echo throughout the rooms, and Levy tried to breathe as quietly as possible, but knew there was no point to hiding; the light was on, and the faucet was still running. The splashing of the water against the basin did nothing to calm her as the footsteps stopped just short of the door.

A silhouette stepped into view in the doorway, tall and looming with long dark hair. 

Levy sighed, half in relief and half in annoyance, and rubbed one of her eyes.

“What are you doing in my room?! How did you get in here?!” She demanded, starting to flush a bright red.

“What’s that look for?! I could hear ya on the other side of the wall. Thought you might’ve been in trouble!” Gajeel volleyed. 

“What could you possibly have heard that warranted breaking into my room?!”

They both furrowed their brows, glaring at each other for a few moments. The tension quickly dissipated as they started to chuckle, and Levy allowed her body to relax. Still feeling quite weak, she opted to sit on the edge of the bathtub. 

“I don’t think I’m gonna be able to work today.” She admitted sadly through the tail-end of a giggle. She gripped tighter onto the edge of the bathtub, watching her knuckles flex. 

“You don’t look well at all, shrimp. It reeks in here.” 

Suddenly feeling embarrassed, she reached out to turn off the faucet. 

“I’m  _ not _ well. And you don’t have to point out that it smells! That’s so embarrassing,” 

Levy felt dismay at herself, having let Gajeel see her during a moment of weakness. However, she also didn’t want him to worry too much about it, and the conflict in her mind quickly came to a narrow conclusion; pretend it hadn’t happened at all.

Gajeel leaned on the doorframe as she passed him, crossing his arms. 

“How  _ did _ you get in here, anyway?” Levy questioned, faking a bit of pep. She knelt down where her suitcases sat, lifting the cover on one of them and rifling through it. If she dug deep enough…

Gajeel transformed one of his fingers into a key shape with a cocky smirk. Levy gave him a flat look. 

“That feels unfair, and is not as comforting as it should be. I mean, it’s not like I have a key to  _ your  _ room.” She said, turning back around to sift through her things. If it wasn’t in the suitcase, it  _ could _ be in the backpack...

He flicked off the bathroom light, and Levy froze as Gajeel strode over to her. He stopped just short of her, towering over her like everyone else. The simmering tension was being brought to a slow boil, and it seemed like she could feel her blood running all throughout her body.

“So there’s nothing wrong? The little whimpers of agony are nothing?” He asked, staring at her back. She could feel his crimson eyes on her, as if they were piercing her soul. 

“Nothing is wrong,” Levy lied through a smile. She turned her head to look at him, and was struck by how handsome he seemed in the low glow of the moon. 

His arm reached toward her, and she blinked as he rested the back of his hand against her forehead. She started to blush, feeling her face heat up. 

“Liar,” He smirked. The tension was boiling over. Her heart pounded in her chest.

“What are you-”

“You’re taking a rest day, shrimp. You’ve been working yourself too hard. I’ll take care of letting Duplaine know.” 

Levy watched him for a moment, her lips parted. She then pursed them, looking away towards her backpack on the floor.

“You’re an idiot,” She muttered, grabbing at the bag, and resting on her knees as she rummaged around. She could still feel his eyes on her, and she could almost feel the ghost of his warmth behind her. Instead, he sat down on the end of her bed, watching her search for…  _ whatever _ it was she was searching for. 

“A key to my room could be arranged, if you’re so desperate for it.” Gajeel joked. She could hear the shallow metallic grinding of his limbs changing shape, a sound that once put her on edge but now gave some form of comfort, like the way the gentle swaying of a ship could put someone to sleep. 

_ Someone who isn’t Gajeel, that is. _

Levy was eager to push back against his statement, realising that they were settling into an all-too-familiar game of flirting chicken. 

“Not desperate enough that I went ahead and made my own in advance.” She raised an eyebrow, still looking away. It made it easier. 

“Who said I was desperate? I was just checking on you, was all.” Gajeel retorted, his tone of voice changing from one of amusement to a low curiosity. It sent a shiver down her spine.

“Am I not allowed to be concerned?” 

He was pushing the envelope, and he knew it.

Levy sat the bag down. The book, one that usually comforted her to reread in times of stress and hardship, was not there, but it was likely amongst the mess she’d made in the room. She was surprised Gajeel hadn’t commented on that yet; any excuse to mock her seemed like his golden goose. 

“I didn’t say that. And at this time? How considerate of you to invite yourself in, then.” 

A twang landed on the floor in front of her bed. Levy whipped her head around to see what it was, catching a glint of bronze. It was his  _ actual _ room key, the one supplied by the hotel. 

“Not sure I’d call it considerate,” He replied, looking away from her now that she was facing him. 

“What would  _ you  _ call it then?” She asked innocently, standing up slowly to avoid a dizzy spell. Levy’s whole body started to heat up as she awaited his answer; he ignored her. The fun was over, and the tension dissipated as quickly as it had formed.

She bent down to pick up the key, turning it over in her hands. 

“I was just kidding about the key thing.” She spoke softly, holding it back out towards him. He raised a hand to push it away. 

“Keep it. In case there’s an emergency.” 

“Like what?” Levy laughed nervously. Holding the key out towards him again, he rested a hand on top of hers, closing her fingers around the key. His hands were rough and calloused, but warm and comforting - there was no hidden agenda behind anything he was doing or saying now. 

“Dunno. But I’d rather you have it if something happens.” 

“Gajeel…” She murmured. Levy smiled, soaking up the sudden affection. Now seemed as good a time as ever. 

“I have something I need to tell you.” She admitted. She knew how it sounded, and it wasn’t  _ ‘that _ ’, but he needed to know about the letter. She was starting to feel unbearably warm.

Gajeel looked to her expectantly, whipping his head around so quick she was surprised he hadn’t snapped his neck. She wondered what he thought she was going to say; if it were the words she desperately  _ wanted _ to say, how would he react? What if she just  _ said them _ ? No more dancing around it, no more obfuscating - just the truth. 

But that’s not what she had to tell him, and she wasn’t sure she could handle rejection in the state she was in. 

“Yeah?” 

“I was given a letter. From Duplaine and Otterweld and Beneé. The day I signed the contract.”

Levy paused, gauging his reaction. His eyes darted away for a moment and then met hers again, and they kept eye contact for a few silent moments. 

“It… it was from the dark guild that’s been attacking the archaeological society. The Blooded Chapter.”

“The Blooded Chapter?” 

“Yeah, I mentioned them yesterday. I thought I’d told you about it, but I completely forgot. It was addressed directly to me.” She explained warily, climbing onto the bed behind him and reaching toward the opposite bedside table, grabbing at the opened envelope with her index and middle finger. Gajeel twisted his body to see what she was doing, bringing his legs up onto the bed and crossing them. Levy subconsciously matched him, glaring at the paper in her hands, before shakily handing it over to him. Her body was still wracking with a slight tremor, and not knowing how he was going to react didn’t make it any better.

Gajeel took the envelope, and Levy watched as he took out the contents and unfolded them, eyes scanning the piece of paper. His piercings glinted, drawing her focus from the anxiety swelling in her gut.

“This is…” Gajeel trailed off, furrowing his brow. 

“Yeah,” Levy chuckled nervously, moving to scratch the nape of her neck. “Crazy, right?” 

Gajeel stared at her in disbelief.

“Lev, this ain’t a joke. This is a death threat. You’re a _ target _ .” 

“I know that!” She exclaimed quietly, reaching out to snatch the paper back. Gajeel held it higher than her arms could reach. 

“How long have you had this?! Why didn’t you tell me?!” 

She suddenly felt guilty, with a peppering of fear. It was a completely valid question; if she had told him sooner, they could have worked it out together. Suddenly, her prerogative for hiding it seemed selfish. Why didn’t she just tell him?

“I… I didn’t want you to worry. That first night, we all went out to dinner and we laughed and had a good time, and I… didn’t want to ruin it. You and Lily seemed so excited about the job. After that, I just forgot. Nothing’s come of it!” She defended. 

“So far!” Gajeel corrected, his voice laced with poison. “And of course I’m going to worry! We’re _ partners _ , for fuck’s sake!” 

Levy flinched at the sudden yell. Her eyes widened at the expletive, and she couldn’t meet his gaze, starting to tear up.

Was it a mistake to show him? No, it couldn’t have been. She intended to be honest with him from the beginning, but it had simply…  _ evaded _ her. It didn’t seem as important in the regular flow of things, and she was right; nothing  _ had _ come of it so far. As far as she was concerned, she had been perfectly safe with him and Lily, and the dome’s protective measures didn’t hurt either.

“I thought I was doing the right thing at the time,” Levy whispered, gritting her teeth towards the end of the sentence, successfully holding back an overdue sob that loomed in the back of her throat, waiting for its chance to escape.

Gajeel exhaled, a loud, raggedy breath. He softened his posture, letting his shoulders sag.

“I’ve never had a serious threat on my life before. I don’t know how to cope with this.” She continued, fidgeting with her hands. 

“I’m not angry at you.” Gajeel began. “I’m… I wish you’d just told me.” 

“I was scared. I didn’t know how to tell you.” 

“Even still,” He assured. In an unexpected move, he held a hand out. It seemed unsure at first, almost pulling away, but Levy watched it for a moment, trying to decipher its intent, before she shakily put her own into his palm. 

“I know I’m weak, but… I guess I thought if I could handle this myself, I could prove something. Make some stupid point.” Levy hesitated. She concentrated on the way his hand felt, and the vulnerability of the action; it was very un-Gajeel, and yet traced back to the hidden softness that lay beneath his cold, steely exterior. 

“You’re not weak. But this is definitely something I don’t think you could do on your own. No offence.” He expressed. She still couldn’t match his gaze, but she could tell he wasn't staring at her anyway. 

Levy smiled sadly. 

“Not against an entire guild, no.” 

“That’s what you’ve got me and Lily for.” 

Her heart pounded in her chest, heavier than the regular lovestruck nerves, and Levy realised she was far more lightheaded than earlier. 

“I think I need to step out for some fresh air,” She said, moving herself off of the bed and towards the balcony door. She lifted a hand to her forehead, and the other to move the sheer curtains aside and rest on the door handle, and heard Gajeel move off of the bed as well. 

“You’re burning up. I can feel the heat you’re radiating from here.” He spoke.

Pushing the handle down, the fresh air hit Levy like a tonne of bricks. She hadn’t realised how stuffy the room had gotten between the fireplace and the continuously closed windows, and she stepped forward onto the stone balcony. There was a definite breeze, and although she knew it was cold, it was relieving the warmth she could feel throughout her body. Just to the right of the door, there was a concrete bench with cherubs carved into the back. Levy sat down, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the brick behind her. 

Gajeel lingered in the doorway, crossing his arms as he leaned against the frame. He watched her breathe deeply, and as she opened her tired eyes. 

“Gajeel?” Levy asked, lifting her head towards him. He grunted affirmatively in response. Even in the dark, he managed to shine like the sun. She wished she could trace every sharp line of his face, to memorise every tiny barely-there freckle and the way his piercings glinted. She wanted him so much that it made her chest ache; however, that could also have been the sickness.

“No more secrets, okay?” 

“Think it’s me who’s supposed to say that to you,” He began, tilting his own head towards her. “But yes, no more secrets.”

“Come sit.” Levy said, more of a plea than a demand. She patted the spot beside her. 

Gajeel sat awkwardly, realising the bench was only so big, and tried to balance himself half-on and half-off the seat. 

“Aren’t you cold?” He asked, peering at her. She remembered she was shaking, probably from dehydration. She was wearing a tank top and long thin pyjama pants, but other than that, felt like she was going to overheat. 

“No; why?”

“It’s cold. Here,” He insisted, shrugging out of his jacket. 

“No, really, I’m warm.” Levy insisted back, pushing it away when he tried to pass it to her.

“You’re  _ sick,”  _ Gajeel corrected. “That doesn’t exempt you from getting more sick. You gotta get better if you wanna finish up this job and clean up, right?” 

Levy nodded, slowly. 

“So… consider me your personal assistant until then. Anything you gotta do, I’m gonna make sure you can do it. And that starts with not getting more sick than you already are.” 

There was a profound thoughtfulness to it, that was for sure. Every now and again, on occasion, Gajeel had a way with words, and they always managed to help bolster her spirit or burn away her doubt. She felt particularly uplifted in this instance, but since exhaustion was closing in on her, she settled for a small smile, and a whispered ‘ _ thank you’ _ , and hoped that that would be enough for him to know she appreciated it. She appreciated him.

He draped the jacket over her shoulders, covering her front. It smelt like him; like some sort of musk, a cologne he hadn’t worn in a while. Like the shampoo he used. 

“Lev?” 

She hummed in response, turning her head to look at him. He was already watching her, as if scanning for an answer to an unspoken question. His expression was soft, vulnerable; his crimson eyes seemed to beg. She loved those eyes.

“You trust me, right? Not just with this, but in general?”

“Of course, Gajeel. I trust you with my life.”

When there was no reply, Levy affectionately nuzzled into the jacket, realising that it was an inadvertent embrace. She felt safe, cared for; and it was all she needed in the wake of everything about the mission.

They sat in silence for the short remainder of the night, Levy eventually resting her head against his shoulder and drifting off, and Gajeel staying ever so still, so as not to wake her. This particular instance had happened before, on another mission, and he wondered if maybe, just maybe, she felt the same about him or if this was just platonic. Lucy and Natsu did this sort of thing, right? And they were just friends, or so they said. Could something that felt so intimate be simply platonic?

He mulled over the letter in his mind, considering the new information with the suspected intruder. Using these new pieces, Gajeel was starting to put together the puzzle of the stalker outside their rooms. He’d have to tell Lily, he conceded, and looked towards the stars. 

He wondered what everyone was doing back home.

… 

Pantherlily stood over the magic trap, arms crossed. The springs had activated, and whatever had been lurking outside their windows had certainly met with some pain. He was surprised that neither he nor Gajeel had heard any yelps or groans, considering the trap was less than a metre from their corner window. 

Lily plucked at some reddish-pink fur that had become caught on the sharp edges of the mouth of the trap, and recalled where he’d seen it before. 

“On the way to the dome,” He spoke to himself. “That night the driver stopped for a bathroom break. That’s where I saw it.” 

Lifting it closer to eye-level, he studied it carefully. 

“Could that dog really have been…?” 

Looking back towards the broken trap, he remembered his theory of the stalker being a shapeshifter. He dropped his arm back to his side, still clinging onto the fur.

“That would explain why the mouth has been torn apart. Even still, this sort of trap isn’t easy for an animal to break free from, nevermind a person. They must have some strength to have been able to-“ 

“Lily,” Gajeel’s voice began. Lily turned to see him at the window, hands bracing either side of the window frame. He couldn’t get onto the balcony due to the inconvenient size of the video, nor the fact that there was no door, but it didn’t stop him from getting as close as he could. 

“Gajeel,” Lily greeted.

“What’s going on out there? Can hear you talking to yourself from down the hall.” 

“Are your senses still on the fritz?” The Exceed asked. Gajeel ran a hand through the front of his hair, causing it to become even more unruly, somehow. It fell in front of his face. Lily graciously decided to ignore the implication that Gajeel was  _ down the hall _ .

“On the fritz? No. Heightened beyond belief? Yes. Can just about hear the trees growin’. I’d give anything for some silence, but that’s another matter. What’s all this?” 

Lily looked from Gajeel to the trap, and back again. 

“I’ve got some news.”

“Come on inside, then. We’re bringing Levy up to speed.” 

Lily collected the trap in his arms; it was almost comical, since it was twice the size he was, but he managed to squeeze it through the window. Levy was sat on the end of Gajeel’s bed, her legs together and hands clasped on top of them politely. He couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t look well; he had noticed that the past couple of days had been tougher for her, but she looked too sickly to function. Lily decided not to comment on it. 

“Someone’s been stalkin’ around outside our windows at night. Broke and entered the first night. Lily and I have been taking _ extra measures _ to find out who it is.” 

“Is there any scent?” Levy asked immediately, eyeing off the trap. Lily set it down on the ground.

“No; that’s the odd part.” He admitted. 

“I can’t trace it. No smell, almost no sound. This is about all we got to work with besides  _ seeing _ it.” Gajeel joined in. 

“It’s even more confusing considering that Gajeel’s senses have been irregularly heightened since we got here.” 

Levy was silent as she digested the information. 

“Could they have a spell or something that might work around that? It couldn’t be a glamour, could it?” 

Lily and Gajeel looked at each other. It  _ was _ an option they hadn’t yet considered, that the illusion magic they thought was being used could have been total illusion magic. 

“I don’t think so. I don’t think a glamour could leave this behind,” Lily concluded, plucking more fur out of the trap and holding it out for the pair to see. Levy’s eyes widened. 

“Hey… that’s the...”

“...dog from the dome.” Gajeel finished. A new tension filled the air, like an atmospheric shiver. “I can’t even smell it.”

“Oh my god.” Levy muttered. The realisation sunk in.

“How was it able to get past the dome’s defence? According to the three old geezers, nothing could get in or out that wasn’t already in a carriage.” 

“Maybe it’s catching a ride on one of the other carriages; I’m not sure. But whatever is going on, it feels like it’s been in motion for a while. Perhaps even before we got here.” Lily concluded. No one really knew what to say; they’d all seen the dog on multiple occasions, all separately, of course. How had it evaded Gajeel’s keen senses, or Lily’s wit with traps? How had Levy not connected the dots?

“We’re in way out of our depth here. Not to mention that we weren’t even on the same page until this morning.” Levy said quietly. 

“To be fair, we now have some semblance, some idea of what’s going on. But whatever this thing is, it’s been watching us, and that’s enough for me. I think we should relocate.” Lily suggested.

“That’s a good idea,” Gajeel agreed, putting his hands in his pant pockets. He kicked at some invisible rock, scuffing the floorboards with the fresh steel on the tip of his new boots. 

“Wait,” Levy paused. The two men looked toward her expectantly. 

“Gajeel, you said something in the hallway about a letter that came. Can I see it?” 

“Now?” He checked. Levy nodded. 

Gajeel walked around to the right bedside table, first pushing aside a chunk of half-sculpted iron and obscuring it from view, before opening up the top drawer and pulling out an envelope. He handed it to Levy, who accepted it with shaky hands. She ripped a corner of the envelope, using her pinky nail to rip further along the folded edge. Levy gulped, pulling the letter out and unfolding it. 

_ We warned you.  _

With a small gasp, her heart sank at the opening words. It was written in a bright red ink, too bright to be blood, but red enough to throw anyone off at a first glance.

“What’s it say?” Gajeel asked, eager to know. 

“Shh,” Levy hushed. “I need a second.” 

_ Given your continued efforts of sacrilege, the Blooded Chapter has judged you unanimously. You are hereby sentenced to death, branded with a mark of heresy. Blood must be spilt upon the stone of atonement.  _

“Lev?” 

_ May your soul perish slowly, becoming one with the ever-standing pillars of agony, angst, rage and fear, for the violation you have committed against the ancient ways.  _

_ “ _ Levy.” 

“You can read it in a second, Gajeel! Honestly!” She exclaimed, exasperated. Suddenly, she was finding it harder and harder to breathe. 

_ There is no point in running, hiding or avoiding your judgement. You are under our constant vigilant surveillance. _

There were three pages, separate from the main letter, and Levy sat the letter down beside her. Gajeel instantly picked it up, pacing as he started to read it. 

“Deep breaths,” He reminded her absent-mindedly, stopping in front of the unlit fireplace. 

Levy closed her eyes before unfolding the remaining three pieces of paper. Lily flew up to sit beside her, a paw resting on her thigh as he tried to get a glance at the papers.

Letting out a deep, shaky breath, she unfolded them, and gasped. 

There were three drawings, sketches, of a woman sleeping with dates and times underneath them. It didn’t take a genius to work out that the drawings were of Levy. She threw the papers away from her, letting out an anxious cry.

Gajeel scrunched the letter in his hand, almost snarling. Lily remained quiet, trying to formulate a response. 

“No,” Gajeel began. “This ain’t fucking happening.” 

“If we’d opened it when we received it...”

“How long have you two had these?” Levy asked, on the brink of a fearful sob.

“We didn’t know what was in the envelope. We intended to give the letter to you a few days ago, but it had slipped our minds. The manner in which we received it was so… normal. We honestly thought it could have been a letter from the guild.”

Levy tried to hold space in her mind for that, that they had forgotten - after all, she had done the same. But this letter was far more direct, more personal. 

“We’re leaving. Now.” Gajeel decided, already moving his things into his bags. 

“They know you’re with me. They delivered this to  _ your _ room to try and get a reaction. They know.” 

Gajeel ignored the remark, continuing to pack. He darted around the room, grabbing aggressively at things and tossing them into the bag. Levy was deep in thought.

“I can’t just give up on this job.” 

That got his attention.

“Your life is worth more than 14,000,000 jewels. Like hell I’m gonna sit here and watch you get murdered over some carvings and letters. We’re going home.” 

“It’s not about the jewels!” Levy exclaimed, exasperated. 

“Then what is it about?” Gajeel asked, equally frustrated.

“If a dark guild is after something so seemingly unimportant, and so desperate to protect it, don’t you think there might be more to it than just… than just…” Levy drifted off, letting the sentence hang in the air as she searched for the right word. 

“Are you saying that you think the translation work could be something deeper than historical accounts and lacrima use?” Lily finished.

Levy nodded tiredly. Gajeel let out a dramatic sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“I don’t know if Duplaine and Beneé and Otterweld know, but if it  _ is _ deeper than that, don’t you think it’s worth finding out? What could make a dark guild behave like this if not a deep, dark secret?” She argued, standing from the bed. At some point, she had grabbed onto Lily, holding him against her chest as she often did. Gajeel mulled over the information.

“You think it could be a weapon.” 

“Weapon, taboo magic, same difference. Doesn’t that make it our responsibility, as the guild mages contracted, to find out what it is and stop it?” 

Truthfully, it made sense. It was the morally just thing to do, the right thing, and he hated that she was always able to make him see that. Almost exclusively if it was to her direct detriment. He groaned.

“ _ If  _ we stay,” Gajeel started, glaring directly out the window. 

“We move.” Levy finished. 

“We don’t tell anyone where we’re going.” Lily added. 

“And we take precautions. We have to be careful that we don’t lead them to wherever we move to. We pretend we’re still here, we catch the coach here, we eat around here and we exist around here.” 

That reminded Levy of something.

“Actually, speaking of the coach… Our other driver said something interesting the other day.” She admitted, letting Lily go. He flew from her arms to the window sill.

“The young-ish guy?” Gajeel asked. 

“Yeah. That night he stopped the carriage to go to the bathroom. He mentioned something about having seen ‘no dark guilds’. He also said he turned out the lights to avoid being spotted. Duplaine and the others said that they weren’t telling the staff and students so they didn’t invoke fear; wouldn’t that count the coach drivers?” 

Gajeel raised a curled finger to his chin.

“I imagine they’d have to let the drivers know of any threat, so they wouldn’t be liable if anything were to happen.” Lily explained.

“Something about it doesn’t sit right with me, though. He basically disappeared after having mentioned that.  _ And _ the dog was there that night.”

“You’re right, shrimp. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but I noticed the new driver. It sorta makes sense. Could the drivers be in cahoots with the dark guilds, then?” 

Lily lifted his arms in a time-out motion. 

“They would have had ample opportunity to strike if they were, and the drivers had plenty of opportunities to move us to an area that would benefit the dark guild. Plus, they wouldn’t need to keep it a secret from us; we’re some of the few wizards in the dome. Some of the students have residual magic energy; whether they’re mages or not, it’s not hard to sense it.” 

Everyone was silent for a moment. Levy lifted the heel of her hand to her forehead, closing her eyes. 

“Rest up in here, Lev. We shouldn’t separate any more than we have to. I’ll get started on finding a new place.” Gajeel decided, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Can I not rest in my own room?” She asked, getting flustered. 

“You can if you want. But Lily goes with you.” 

“I’d just like to pack, at least. Try to get through the books I was reading. I also have a couple pages from the dome.” 

Gajeel and Lily paused.

“You have them with you?!” Gajeel asked in disbelief, eyes wide.

“I didn’t think they would miss them! They’re so focused on the tablets and all…” Levy defended bashfully. 

“But it could give us a head start on whatever this…” She gestured vaguely. “... turns out to be.” 

“And you all say  _ I’m _ the reckless one.” Gajeel muttered, folding his arms. 

“Besides, we should probably show Lily the first letter.” 

“First letter?” Lily questioned. 

“Alright, alright. Why don’t you two go compare notes in the other room, and  _ I’ll _ go get some work done. I still have to stop by the geezer’s fossil hut to let them know we ain’t going in today.” Gajeel spoke, rolling his eyes. 

“Be careful, won’t you? Just in case?” Levy asked, ready to follow him out the door. 

“Can’t say being careful is in my nature, but I’ll give it a shot.”

… 

The morning sun produced an awful glare, and the sandstone building in front of him reflected it back tenfold. Gajeel gazed at the architectural wonder in front of him, the carved masterpieces and pillars that held up the foundations of the building. It was situated near the ocean, in the street just as if it was another building. The wind had not relented from the night before, and it was blowing the salty sea air all around him. The waves felt like they had been magnified to his ears, as if someone had taped conch shells around each of them. 

Gajeel huffed as he moved to step inside the magnificent - and very much open - front doors. The inside hallway was just as grand; glossy, dark wooden floors and pedestals lining the walls with findings in glass domes. It smelt like parchment and dust with faint traces of vinegar and some sort of sealant. He imagined he was picking up the latter smell from years of maintenance and upkeep. 

Many of the doors were shut. Gajeel strode through the long and wide corridor, passing the room that he and Levy had turned up for the first interview in. It wasn’t much of an interview, per se; she had been specifically requested and was basically guaranteed the job. He wondered what had happened after he left the room that day, when they’d given her the letter. 

Eventually, he reached the end of the hallway, where the room turned into a ‘T’ shape. A receptionist sitting at a desk seemed to recognise him, or at least his guild mark, and held up a finger. 

“Duplaine and Otterweld are just having a quick conference right now. They should be done soon, if you’d like to take a seat.” She explained with a gratuitous smile, moving out of her seat to knock on a door to the left. She was similar in looks to Evergreen, even down to the glasses, but with vibrant orange hair tied up in a low bun, and he wondered if they were related. 

The door creaked open slightly, and the tall man’s face peeked through, one eye visible through the crack.

_ Otterweld. Been wondering where’s been. _

Recognising Gajeel, the door opened up fully. 

“Ah, young Redfox,” Otterweld greeted. “Is there a problem? We haven’t yet organised today’s coaches.” 

Gajeel stood, placing his hands in his pant pockets. 

“Actually, we can’t come in today. Levy’s sick.” 

“Sick?” The man raised an eyebrow. 

“Yeah. You know, the way people get sometimes.” 

“The sarcasm is unnecessary, young man.” Otterweld commented, turning to allow Gajeel through the door. Upon entering the room, he noticed that it was almost identical to the interview room; striped wallpaper with dark wainscoting; plush chairs with velvet upholstery and rich mahogany desks and bookcases. The only thing missing was the creepy taxidermy heads, instead replaced by frames of degrees and achievements. The whole room smelt like Otterweld; oakmoss, birch and patchouli. It must have been his office.

There, sitting on a far couch, was Duplaine.

_ Excellent. Two obnoxious geezers in one place. _

“Ah, Mr Redfox,” Duplaine greeted with an almost sneer. 

“Miss McGarden isn’t well?” 

“No, she ain’t. I’m not sure why that’s so surprising to the two of you, considering she’s been working like a dog for you.” 

_ Seems Beneé’s the only one with any common sense around here. _

“ _ Isn’t.  _ She  _ isn’t  _ well, not ‘ain’t’.” Otterweld corrected. Between the pair of them, they’d be able to whittle Gajeel’s last nerve down in no time. 

“Anywho, that’s fine. But it does leave the question of protection. As you and your feline friend signed on, we were promised security for the dome; will the pair of you be returning to assist for the day?” Duplaine asked, standing from his seat. His short stature meant that he was positively dwarfed next to Otterweld, whose height was only boosted by the top hat he wore. He reminded Gajeel of Sol, whatever he was doing nowadays.

_ Shit, I hadn’t thought of that.  _

“Surely you’ll be fine; you were fine before we came. We’re gonna take a few days to recuperate.” Gajeel brushed it off, turning on his heel to leave. 

“We’re afraid that’s not viable. You see, Beneé has gone missing.” Otterweld said, concern laced in his voice.

Gajeel paused. 

_ Missing? _

“He never returned from the dome last night.” Duplaine explained. “Did you and Miss McGarden see him at all?” 

“We did,” Gajeel started. “He was coming in as we were leaving, like you said he would. We had a quick conversation and then we left.” 

Otterweld hummed to himself.

“You understand that that makes you a suspect, right?” Duplaine suggested.

Gajeel furrowed his brows. Some crickets had started up outside, which he thought was odd for late autumn, and they broke up the deafening silence. The three men stood opposed to each other, in a triangle.

“If you’re implyin’ what I think you’re implyin’, you’re way off the mark. We would never-“ 

“Not the others. Just you.” Otterweld continued. 

“You’re the only one with a continued resistance to the cause. We’ve done some digging, Gajeel Redfox. Formerly of Phantom Lord, the very guild that attacked Fairy Tail back in X784. We find it very interesting that you actually  _ attacked- _ ” Duplaine ranted, before being cut off.

“Well you shouldn’t. That Gajeel died a long time ago. And continued resistance to the cause? What cause?” Gajeel defended, giving a look that could turn one to stone. 

“We know there’s a history of…  _ unlawful  _ and lethal acts, Mr Redfox. Surely you can understand our apprehensions towards you.” Otterweld joined in.

“You don’t need to be having any  _ apprehensions _ towards me. I’m a Fairy Tail wizard, here on a request that is paying pretty damn well. Why would I kill one of the people paying me? This seems like a targeted miscalculation on your part. It would make more sense for the dark guild to be involved with that, don’t you think?”

Otterweld sighed, resting his hand against a desk and leaning on it. 

“Even so, just know we have our eye on you. For our people’s safety  _ and _ yours.” 

The implication hung thick in the air. Almost seething and definitely seeing red, Gajeel tried to force himself to calm down.

“Anywho, the matter of security still stands. Will you be joining us today, Mr Redfox?”

_ Are these two fucking with me? _

“You have got to be kidding,” He laughed, a short, gritty sound. 

“The security of these texts is no laughing matter, Mr Redfox.” Otterweld replied seriously. 

“I’ll send Lily up. Since you two don’t exactly trust me, and all.”

“We’d prefer it, actually,” Duplaine began, before Otterweld held out a finger. 

“Let us at least keep some faith, Duplaine. For Wilbur’s sake. I can see our line of questioning has proven inflammatory. You see, Mr Redfox, we are just trying to protect our institution. I’m sure you would understand if it was someone from your guild who went missing, and a stranger with a known…  _ history _ turned up.”

Although the perspective shift made sense, Gajeel still felt somewhat attacked; he hadn’t even really done much in regards to the request besides occasionally trying to crack the case out of boredom and playing card games with Lily outside the main room. He certainly hadn’t done anything to warrant an impromptu background check.

“I’m not sure how much it’ll mean to you, but I’ll swear on my father’s grave. I didn’t do anything last night besides make sure Levy, Lily and I got home safe.”

The crickets chirped relentlessly.

“We’ll send a coach over around midday for your partner.”

“It was just  _ excellent _ to see you. Thank you for being hospitable, as always. I’ll see myself out.” Gajeel mocked, stepping out of the room. The receptionist kept her gaze lowered as he stomped past, letting out a squeak as the door behind him slammed. His boots fell heavy on the wooden floors, some creaking beneath his weight and the pressure he was putting on them. 

Then there was the issue of the pointed remarks. To be wary of him based on appearance made some sense; it’s not like he was the cuddliest looking guy, and he knew it. But to bring up Phantom Lord, of all grievances… 

_ Something’s not right about that. That’s just malicious. _

Gajeel huffed, arriving at the street curb. He wanted to head straight back to the hotel, to rant to Lily and seek comfort from Levy, but there was one stop he had to make first; the next step to keep them all out of harm’s way. To keep her safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanted to try a chapter from multiple perspectives, but it ended up being quite a challenge; i don’t think i’ll try that again haha. 
> 
> how are you all enjoying the story so far? things will really start kicking in after the next chapter or so, and i’m so excited to finally get to the nitty gritty! feedback always helps boost me along, so don’t be shy about leaving a comment!


	6. neighbour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> merry christmas!

“They really said that?” Levy asked, setting newspaper pages down on the floor. She did so carefully, double-layering in areas. Dinner was in her room tonight, and neither of them felt like paying extra for the cleaning bill. 

“They  _ really _ did. It was fucking weird. Like just because you weren’t there, they thought they could say shit like that. Not that it bothers me.” 

Gajeel started placing the cartons of takeaway food on top of the newspaper, making sure to separate the foods she wouldn’t eat and the ones she would. She was a politely picky eater at the best of times, but the nausea meant she couldn’t keep down anything with too much grease or additives, and since the stench of her vomit was violently metallic in nature - and not in the kind of way Gajeel appreciated - he made an effort to avoid it.

He handed her a fork and knife, and she handed him the last of the extra newspaper, almost in sync, a dance practiced many times before. He crumpled it up and threw it into the fireplace behind him. 

“I’m so sorry, Gajeel. I should have believed you when you said they were acting weird towards you. I had no idea…” She apologised sadly, lifting a single-serve carton of spaghetti to her chest.

“Oi,” He said. “None of that ‘defeatist’ stuff. You couldn’t have known. They treat you like you hung the stars in the sky.” 

Levy looked away sadly, swirling her fork around in the carton.

“Still… I didn’t realise that it was  _ that _ bad. If they didn’t trust you, why let you join the request? It doesn’t make sense.” 

“Nothin’ about anything makes sense here. How did you go with the text?” Gajeel switched subjects, not wanting her to worry too much. She’d come around well in the second half of the day, not nearly as sick as she’d been in the morning. After a shower and some rest, she almost looked and acted like her normal self again.

“I haven’t done too much work on it. I tried this morning, but I was too focused on the letters from… you know, to get much work done. I think I may have a theory though,” She explained, lifting a twisted fork-full of spaghetti to her mouth.

“A theory, huh?” Gajeel asked. He was sat in front of the fireplace, one leg crossed and the other raised, with an arm resting on the raised leg. 

Levy nodded with her mouth full, humming affirmatively. 

“Do tell what’s rattling around little ol’ Levy’s brain.” 

She held up a finger, covering her mouth as she swallowed her food. Then she sat the carton beside her, turning to face Gajeel with a twinkle in her eye. 

“What if it’s not meant to be read all at once?”

As cryptic as ever. 

“You’re gonna have to explain, shorty.” 

Ignoring the pet name, she continued.

“So… there are all those languages, right? There’s ancient Boscan, Pergrandian, and I think even Stellan. A lot of them overlap and use similar characters, letters and sounds. Then there are more modern languages. Not anything easy, of course. But there are dialects of Boscan - which makes sense, because the texts are from Bosco, but isn’t it strange how many different languages there are given the supposed time period?” 

“And what period is that?” 

“Last I spoke to Duplaine, he suggested that they’re older than Zeref.” 

Gajeel thought about that; he supposed that ruled out any suspicion of Zeref being related to it, but if Fairy Tail’s track record with him was anything to go with, there was probably some connection. 

“That would make them… what, older than all hell?” 

“Think ‘dragons’. Or possibly even before that.” 

“Shrimp, no offence, but I doubt these came from before dragons. Dragons were around for a while. They’d have to be in pretty rough shape if that were the case.” 

She flustered.

“Yeah, but… well, I was just using it as a reference! I didn’t mean that they actually came from  _ before _ dragons. I’m just saying, they’re  _ really  _ old. Besides, something can be that old and be preserved well.”

_ Bringing up dragons to a dragon. Great job, Levy. _

Gajeel reached into his pocket as he listened, pulling out a tiny fabric pouch. He loosened the strings, using his thumb and index finger to reach inside. He pulled out a clump of metal shavings, before sprinkling them over his own meal. 

“Are you…?” Levy started, realising her question was, for lack of a better word, quite foolish.

“What? It’s a garnish!” Gajeel defended. “And it ain’t like you’ve never seen me do it before.” 

“I was just surprised you’d put that over bare pasta. Is that why you didn’t get any sauce?” She asked, confused. 

“Hey, I got sauce! It’s called ‘layering the flavour’. Only people who can cook would understand.” He jabbed, closing his eyes and raising his brows. He looked away from her playfully, holding his head high. 

“I can cook!” 

“Making toast ain’t cooking, shrimp.” 

“I can cook,” She muttered, reaffirming her point. 

“Anyway,” Gajeel said, picking up a small tub of sauce and pouring it into his carton. He mixed it together, scoffing, and faced her again, eyes boring into hers as he swirled his fork. He didn’t blink.

“Continue with your theory.” 

Levy matched his eye contact with a certain look, which turned into a smile, which turned into small giggles.

“What? I got something on my face?” Gajeel demanded, wiping the back of his half-gloved hand across his mouth.

“No, you’re just looking at me a funny way.” Levy giggled.

“Like what?! I’m just looking at you!” 

“Exactly!”

Gajeel had a confused smirk of his own now, glancing around.

“How do you  _ want _ me to look at you?!” 

Now she was laughing, really laughing, and she wasn’t exactly sure why. She started in the first place because of the intense focus in his eyes, and it made her think of being under an interrogation light. Maybe it was the nerves of being the subject of such an intense stare, or the fact that she remembered he didn’t really  _ have _ eyebrows. Maybe it was just that she had his full attention, and could do whatever she wanted with it. 

Levy pushed that thought from her mind, blushing as she raised a hand to cover her mouth to try and stifle her laughing fit.

“Levy?!” Gajeel said, letting out an amused gritty chuckle. 

Maybe it was his confusion that prolonged it. She took a deep breath, then exhaled it, the last few chuckles leaving her body. She waved her hands in front of her eyes, which had started to water.

“You just have such an intense stare! Staring at me like I was the only thing in the universe.” 

There was a pregnant pause, then, and the words hung heavily in the air. Her heartbeat started to pick up, and she frantically scanned her brain for a way to relieve the awkwardness before it got any worse.

“Fine, I’ll stare at you half-assedly from now on. Does that make you feel better?” He grumbled. Beat her to it.

She glanced down into her pasta, still smiling. 

“As I was saying,”

“Back to what I was  _ trying _ to hear,” Gajeel commented, slight smirk still plastered on his face. 

“Stop interrupting me, or I’ll never get through it.” She beamed.

Levy lived for the soft moments like these. They filled her with fulfilment, with strength and hope. No battles, or loss, or victories against enemies far more difficult than themselves. No exhaustion or weary bandaging and treatments. Just soft, normal moments; the ones you don’t read about.

Gajeel rolled his wrist, a gesture that said ‘ _ you have the floor _ ’.

“What if we separate the different languages? If we separate the different characters and letters, and sort them, could it begin to form some sort of sentence or paragraph?” 

He hummed in response. 

“I’m not one hundred percent sure it’ll even yield any results, but anything is a start. At this point, I’m so stumped I’m willing to try anything.”

“Unusual for you, shorty. Usually you can crack these in ten minutes or less.” 

“I don’t need the reminder, Gajeel.” She commented flatly, picking her food back up. She blew softly on the hot pasta, lifting it to her mouth. 

“You know, you were gone for a good portion of the day. How did you go with finding somewhere else to stay?” 

“Fhoun’wun. Boog d’it.” Gajeel spoke with his mouth full. 

“In english, please.” 

Gajeel swallowed loudly, shifting his body so he was now sitting completely cross-legged. The flames waved behind him, and she wondered if his hair was too close to them. She couldn’t imagine him with short hair; she wouldn’t be able run her fingers through it one day otherwise.

“Found one. Booked it.” 

“Where is it?” She asked, tilting her head slowly.

“Can’t tell ya.” 

“What? Why?” 

Gajeel tapped his ear, then pointed vaguely towards the window. She had somehow, once again, completely forgotten about the dire nature of her situation.

‘ _ Right now?’ _ She mouthed, eyes widening.

“Nah, can’t feel any presence,” He assured. “But you never know.”

Levy finished off her food, reaching over for one of the entree dishes. She had completely lost her appetite after the reminder of the dark guild, and the ever-present threat on her life, but Gajeel had spent his own money on grabbing all the food, and it would be a waste to not even  _ try _ to finish it off.

She must have had a sad look on her face, because Gajeel grunted, as if to get her attention.

“I said I’d keep you safe, didn’t I?” 

She met his gaze once more, this time with less intensity. There was almost a pleading, a longing in the depths of the red of his eyes. 

“You did.” 

“And have I ever failed doin’ that before?” 

She thought about it for a moment. Mentally, she counted the times they’d fought together; against Laxus, Yomazu and Kawazu, the debacle that was the Grand Magic Games… the smaller jobs they’d taken together, some with Jet and Droy, others just the pair of them. Not to mention the Celestial Spirit Rebellion… 

“Don’t think about it!” He exclaimed. “I haven’t!” 

“What about-”

“Nope.” He interrupted, crossing his arms. “ _ You  _ jumped in front of _ me _ . And I got ya back in the end, anyway.” 

_ Got me back. Got me back. Got me back. _

She could feel her face heating up, practically red. 

“You could say I protected  _ you _ that time, then.” She muttered, glancing away and rubbing the back of her neck. 

“You could.” Gajeel responded bluntly, picking his teeth. “Could also say it was reckless endangerment.” 

She then watched him, the brute that he was, using his fingernail to get out something caught between his teeth. He seemed to have had enough with the topic of conversation, glaring out of the window despite the fact the curtain had been pulled across. 

“So, how many of those books did you get through today?” 

“Most of them,” Levy responded, moving so that she was kneeling. She kept her gaze on him, wondering if she should start moving her bags. “They’re pretty interesting, actually; a few of them I’ve already read, but I read one about local folklore and another about a legendary nearby island.”

“Tell me about them.” 

… 

The next day, the town square hustle and bustle was as busy as ever. For such a small and unsuspecting town, it seemed that either their population didn’t correspond to its size, or it was a hub for business and tourism. A group of small children were running around the fountain, playing some game with impossible rules that they made up every few minutes. Adults bartered and chatted, money changing hands at small wooden stalls and laughter cutting through the music being played in front of a cafe by a three-piece band. Cutlery clanked against ceramics and people clapped as the song being played finished; local wizards delighted small audiences with magic and fireworks. The vibrant and chaotic nature of the town was complimented with the calming sound of the ocean waves lapping against the shore nearby.

Levy sat on the edge of the fountain, glancing around at the colourful displays again before turning her head back to her notepad. The gentle sea breeze blew her loose blue locks around her, and she used her free hand to push stray hair behind her ears.

“Must be a festival or somethin’.” Gajeel muttered, kicking a rock with his shoe. 

“Is it too loud here, Gajeel? We can move.” Lily pried, crossing his arms out of habit. 

“Shrimp said she works better with noise.” 

“I’ve done my best work in the guild hall,” Levy piped up, eyes not leaving the paper in her hands. She had written down and separated all the languages from the texts she had…  _ borrowed _ from the dome, and was in the process of translating the ones she wasn’t as confident in. Then, she would rearrange them to see if her theory stuck. 

“Especially when I’m about to be pelted with a barstool.” 

“I was aiming for salamander! He moved! I caught it in time, didn’t I?” Gajeel defended.

“I  _ am _ starting to miss that place.” The Exceed commented with a chuckle.

“Let’s just get this done, and we can go home.” 

“Richer than all hell.” Gajeel added with a devious smirk. 

Levy adjusted her red glasses, sliding them up into her hair with a sigh. 

“I think you are severely overestimating how much we’re getting paid. It’s getting split three ways, Gajeel.” 

“And?”

“That’s about 4.6 million jewel each.” 

“And? That’s more than I’ve got sitting in a stash at home. Some of us ain’t gonna blow it first thing on books.” Gajeel remarked, his tone remaining playful.

Levy rolled her eyes light-heartedly. 

“That’s big talk coming from someone planning to spend their small fortune at a scrap yard,” Lily commented, eliciting a deep laugh from Levy. It was Gajeel’s turn to roll his eyes. 

“I think it’s time for a break. I’m starving.”

“Yeah,” Levy agreed, rising from her seat on the fountain stone and smoothing her skirt out. Today, she’d opted for a tangerine-coloured scoop neck top and a tan skirt, with a thin white jacket. Despite the autumn leaves that fell all around town, the weather was still quite warm during the day. Gajeel hadn’t bothered to wear a jacket at all, seemingly unbothered by the midday breeze in just a tight studded t-shirt and his usual billowy pants, tucked into his new boots; they hadn’t even gotten a scuff on them yet. 

“I’m starting to get a headache again. Not as bad as they’ve been, but I’d rather not exacerbate it. Plus, I’m a bit rusty on Stellan.” She smiled bashfully, blinking away.

“Your  _ ‘rusty’ _ is everyone else’s  _ ‘fluent’ _ . Bit unfair of you to think they’re on the same level.”

“It’s not as easy to learn as you think! It has a lot of rules, you know.” 

Gajeel looked as if he was about to respond with some snarky comment, some snide remark, when their attention was drawn to a shop front directly ahead of them. A man in an apron was getting into an argument with an older woman, waving his hands around animatedly. The woman’s body language indicated that she felt threatened, and while Levy couldn’t exactly make out what was being said through the loud commotion of the town square, Gajeel’s expression shifted into one that could turn someone to stone. Levy lifted a hand to his bicep, but he was already taking off towards the pair. 

“Gaj-!” She tried to call, following him closely, but he thrust an arm out, forcing her to keep her distance. 

“What’s goin’ on over here?” He asked, his tone accusing. The man in the apron, who Levy could now see must have been the manager of the restaurant behind him, put his hands on his hips, facing Gajeel with an unshakable resolve - or so he thought, for now. 

“This  _ wench _ is trying to put up posters at the front of my store. I don’t want her to. Now shoo.” The man said bluntly, waving Gajeel away as he turned back towards the woman. 

Gajeel grabbed the man by the shoulder, forcing him back around. 

“She said her son is missing. Why won’t you let her put up her posters?” 

The huddle was gaining attention, townspeople turning to see where the argument was coming from. People in the near vicinity dropped what they were doing to stare. Levy looked around, concern etched into her features.

_ If there was ever a time for Fairy Tail to not be involved… _

“Gajeel,” She tried to sound stern, restraining herself from reaching out to touch him. He simply waved her away. 

“And what do I care? You think you have any say in what I choose to do with my restaurant? I don’t want the posters, so I’m not going to take them. Butt out, freak, and take this hag with you.” The man dismissed loudly, pointing towards the woman. He had moved into Gajeel’s personal space, their faces close together as he grit his teeth. Levy watched Gajeel and waited for his reaction, anticipating a fist fight. 

_ I’ll let him get a hit or two in, just because this guy sucks. But then I’ll have to stop him. _

Almost all the noise in the town square had died down, besides the children running around and some of the further citizens still chattering amongst themselves. Even the three-piece band had paused to watch whatever was happening. 

“Well, you brute? Get away from my restaurant before I call the authorities on all of you.” 

The following had seemed to happen in slow motion as Levy processed it; from the moment Gajeel’s right arm started to make that grinding metal sound that was etched into her mind to the moment that an iron spear made contact with the glass behind the restaurant owner, the thunder-like shattering of the entire front window loud enough to reawaken the headache that had been hiding, dormant for the last twenty four hours in the back of her mind. The owner jumped back, horrified, as Gajeel quickly withdrew his iron. 

He snatched a poster from the old woman, stepping over the long glass shards on the bricked ground and crunching them beneath his feet. He held his hand out to his side and folded his fingers inward and back out; asking for something from the old woman. She realised what he was after, and patted herself down, reaching into a pocket in her stained apron. She pulled out a small can of adhesive and a wide paintbrush, handing it to him.

The owner watched on with a pale face, silent as Gajeel opened up the can and dipped the paintbrush in nonchalantly before painting a section on a long, pointed shard of glass that still remained, hanging from the top of the frame. He gently held the poster to it for a few moments, and then took his hand away, turning to the owner. 

“She said her son was missing. If someone from my town was missing, I’d wanna know what they look like so I could find ‘em.” He spoke in a low, intimidating voice. The owner sputtered as he searched for words to say, thrown off by the sudden hostility.

“T-thank you,” The old woman started. Gajeel held his hand out again and she quickly handed him a poster. 

Levy processed what had just happened, glaring at Gajeel’s back, then looking between him and the broken glass. The citizens inside had scrambled away, and smaller shards littered the floor and table by the window, and she noticed a high chair sat at the table. 

She was  _ mad _ .

It must have shown on her face, because Lily lifted a paw to her calf, and she looked down to him. She softened as she realised he was comforting  _ her _ , despite the blast. They exchanged a silent agreement.

_ This complicates things. _

Gajeel started to walk off, hand gripping the poster so hard his knuckles were turning white. The crowds resumed their noise, seemingly bored with the finished interaction, and a few of the locals gathered around the broken window to comfort the restaurant owner, who was still sputtering. 

Lily flew up into Levy’s arms, and they shared a nod as they ran after him; he was walking quickly, and there wasn’t much leg between the pair of them.

He turned a corner, and Levy skidded to a stop to follow, but he had simply waited for her to catch up.

“What was that all about?!” She demanded, standing her ground. Lily released himself from her grip, choosing instead to float in the air at Gajeel’s eye level. 

“Do you have any idea what that means for us?! I thought we were supposed to be laying low, Gajeel!” 

Gajeel threw his arm out, the crumpled poster caught between his index finger and thumb. When she didn’t take it right away, he drew his arm back and then thrust it towards her again, rolling his eyes.

Levy’s gaze shifted between the poster and him, furrowing her eyebrows. Hesitantly, she took it from him. It only took one glance at the picture for her to recognise it.

“Ain’t that one of the kids from the dome?” Gajeel asked, crossing his arms. 

“Vol,” Levy whispered, staring so hard at the image of the older teenager that she thought she might burn a hole into it. 

“I only spoke to him once or twice, but I could tell he was a good kid. I can imagine what his mother’s going through.”

_ That’s right. Metalicana went missing too. _

Realising that the incident must have struck a nerve within Gajeel, her perspective on it shifted. Not to mention that the owner was despicably rude; no wonder it escalated the way it did. 

There was a pensive silence between the three of them. It was Lily who spoke first.

“Do you think it has anything to do with-”

“Dunno.” Gajeel cut him off, placing his hands in his pockets and looking the other way. 

“He  _ was _ working at the dome. But to pick off kids one by one sounds specific and cruel to me. Especially since their target is you,” He nodded towards Levy, not missing a beat. She gulped.

“Perhaps it’s an intimidation tactic,” Lily theorised, raising a paw to his chin. 

“Wait - picking off kids one by one?” Levy asked nervously, holding her hands up in front of her. Her stomach dropped not only at the casual manner in which Gajeel said it, but the implication that there was  _ more _ than just Vol.

“I thought you were awake when we were discussing it, but that’s my mistake. Levy,” Lily began, giving a sincere look. 

She didn’t know whose name he was about to say, but it didn’t matter; she had been working closely with the interns at the dome, and had gotten to know them some. She helped them with minor side translations, told them stories about previous requests and translation mishaps. They listened to her, she listened to them. The mutual respect they shared and the conversations, no matter how trivial, were a treasured experience for Levy; she’d never seen such a close-knit group with a passion for linguistics, that shared  _ her _ passion. She wished she’d had something similar when she was younger. They were barely adults. She knew. She  _ knew _ what it all meant. 

“Eve is missing, too.” 

…

“I can tell you’re not asleep, shrimp.” 

Levy opened one eye, the other resting against the pillow. Gajeel sat with his back to her, stoking the fire in the fireplace. It was their last night in the hotel before they headed off to their next location, and Gajeel insisted she sleep in his room, just in case. 

Levy sighed heavily.

“I can’t. Not when I don’t know if Vol and Eve are safe.” 

Gajeel sat, unmoving in front of the fire. He probably had his usual frown taking up his face, glaring into the fireplace; just him and the burning licks of flame. He was so calm. 

“We’re gonna find ‘em. Lily’s gone back tonight to poke around, and we should trust that he’ll find some lead. He’s good at detecting, that cat.” Gajeel spoke matter-of-factly, his arm moving to stoke the flames with the fire poke. Levy watched the embers fly around haphazardly, not enough to catch on to anything, but enough to warrant her to tell him to  _ be careful _ . Instead, she kept her mouth closed. 

“But what if there is no lead? What if there’s nothing, and they’re just  _ gone _ ?” 

“You’re worrying too much, shrimp. You’re forgetting about this,” Gajeel paused, tapping the tip of his nose. 

“And this.” He flexed dramatically, looking back at her over his shoulder. 

Even though she didn’t feel like smiling, he’d managed to squeeze a slight grin out of her with his goofy actions. Always there to make her laugh, when no one else was around. 

“We’re gonna finish this job, get paid, save the town and then some. All you gotta worry about is getting to sleep, and leave the difficult stuff to me.” 

And yet, she didn’t feel any better. What if it  _ was _ an intimidation tactic, something that the dark guild was involved in? Or what if it was just an unfortunate coincidence that two interns had gone missing? 

_ Two is a lot to coincidentally go missing in an idyllic coastal town, though. Something isn’t adding up. _

“Gajeel?” Levy asked, starting to feel a nervous twist beginning in her stomach. This was different than the sickness she had become accustomed to; there was more fear in this. 

“Yeah?” 

She swallowed.

“I know this is a weird question, but… would you… I mean, could you… come and sit up here, maybe? I just feel like I’d feel safer. Not that you have to! And if you don’t want to, that’s fine. I just - well,” She sputtered, eyes locked onto the ceiling as she rolled onto her back. She braced herself for rejection. 

Gajeel didn’t say anything, but she heard him stand from his spot, stoking the crackling fire a few more times before setting the fire poke down against the painted brick of the fireplace. His bare feet shuffled around on the rug, and the bed creaked ever so slightly as he sat down on it, pulling his legs up. 

_ He’s so close. _

She tilted her head towards him, her heartbeat speeding along like a hummingbird. She blinked a few times, and wondered what he was thinking. Did he want to hold her, like she wanted him to? Did he want to taste her lips, like she wanted to taste his? 

When his eyes met hers, he seemed to blush - or maybe he didn’t, it was hard to tell in the dim light of the flames - and turned his head. She felt slightly disappointed, looking away herself. 

His hand moved to rest on the top of her head, stiff at first, but gradually he settled on a circular motion with his thumb, brushing her fringe away from her face. His warmth felt like facing the sun; his caring strokes a secret, just for her. It was too intimate to be something friends did for each other. She tried to recall a time Lucy had told her about, where Natsu slung an arm around her shoulder and fell asleep, but this felt…  _ different _ . In a pleasant, gentle, mutual-pining way. Or so she hoped.

_ He’s so sweet when it’s just us. _

This wasn’t a time to tease or embarrass him, she decided. Levy smiled gently to herself, closing her eyes and shuffling around so that she laid facing him. Tonight she would stave off the inevitable self doubt and premonitions of an unrequited dream. She wouldn’t pretend to distance herself. She would soak up the rare affection, take it for what it was, and try to sleep.

_ How is any of this platonic? _

“Go to sleep, Lev.” 

She hummed, nuzzling her head into the pillow. 

“And I’ll be here the whole night.”

“You won’t leave?” She murmured. 

“Won’t move. If that makes you feel safe.” 

“It might.” 

“Then that’s what I’ll do. But for now, go to sleep.” 

Levy drifted off happily, his fingers still carding through her hair, a warm yet tired smile on her face. 

_ I’ll tell him tomorrow. _


	7. reveries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone! i’m so sorry about the long wait for this chapter. i hit writers block quite a few times between my real-life obligations that took time away from writing. this chapter is short yet long at the same time, and i didn’t really have much room to write all the things i wanted to.
> 
> needless to say, strap into your seats, because this story is about to properly kick into gear! enjoy 😊

_ “You know, all this fighting is gonna catch up with you one day.”  _

_ Gajeel smirked victoriously, lifting his arm and resting it on her head so that she could wrap the bandage around his torso. They were taking cover under a formation of rocks, rain beating down around them. Torrential downpour hadn’t made their trip back to the guild any easier between their injuries and exhaustion. _

_ “Impossible. Not for ol’ Black Steel.”  _

_ Her fingers worked nimbly around the wicked and scabbing gash, trying to apply enough pressure to keep the bandage tight, but not too much that the wound reopened. She cursed under her breath in another language, one he felt he vaguely knew, and the gash started to sting.  _

_ She was so close. He could feel her warm, shuddering breaths on his side, and the remaining droplets from her hair soaked her bandana where his arm was. All he wanted to do was stare into her honey-brown eyes until he withered, memorising the way they caught flecks of light and spun them into gold.  _

_ But that was selfish; oh, so selfish. He didn’t deserve her. He never could, and he knew it. Atonement was a fantasy, one that kept him awake at night, one that haunted even his purest thoughts. He could never make it right, no matter what he did, and the universe would hold it against him until he expired. _

_ Levy tied up the loose ends of the bandages, causing them to gather in the middle. One corner of her mouth raised, as it always did when she was contemplating. _

_ “Well,  _ Black Steel _ , even you can’t defeat a common cold. Do you… want help? Putting your shirt back on?”  _

_ She tucked one of her front strands of hair behind her left ear, eyes meeting his. Her rosy cheeks snagged at the thorns in his chest, pulling them away from his guarded heart.  _

_ “Sure thing.”  _

_ … _

He wasn’t sure at what point it had happened - probably at some point when sleep had ensnared them between its teeth - but they had ended up entangled together within a few hours. The final loose embers of the fireplace seemed to have gone out not too long ago, the smokey scent still wafting around. Mixed in with it was the faint smell of citrus, and bibliosmia; her.

Her left leg hung loosely over his right, her right arm above her head and her left above the covers. Although her face was turned away from him, she was still close enough that he could hear the soft, deep breaths that left her parted lips, and the small, dream-filled hums she made every few minutes. Her heartbeat had seemed to return to normal from its recent arrhythmic pattern, which relieved him to say the least. The only remaining symptoms of whatever she had come down with, at least that Gajeel had noticed, was an inexplicable hot-and-cold fever that saw her throw the covers around all night long, and the headache she complained about.

For a moment, he simply basked in the warmth of her skin where their legs touched; a secret, just for him in that moment, and he didn’t dare move. 

She hummed again, muttering gibberish as she turned completely onto her side away from him, pulling the blankets tightly around herself as she did. They flew off Gajeel at a surprising speed, barely giving him time to fight back. 

“Oi,” He whispered, his voice still heavy with sleep. He tried to tug on the top blanket, at least, but it was no use; Levy had a surprisingly strong grip, and he could almost feel her shivering. The room was a comfortable temperature, but the fever didn’t seem to take that into consideration. 

With a huff, Gajeel decided he needed to use the bathroom. Although there was no longer any need to untangle himself since she had cocooned herself on the far edge of the bed, he spared a longing look towards her in the dark as he sat up.

“... but that’s macaroni.” She grumbled, adjusting herself again. He grinned to himself, in the way only she could make him grin. So small, so fragile and yet so warm, so real.

His smile quickly faded, and Gajeel pinched the bridge of his nose; what was he doing? What was  _ she _ doing? How could he wave this away as  _ just friends _ or  _ just teammates _ when they were sharing a bed? Did he want to wave it away? Would it be a sin to lean into it, to give as much as she was seeming to give? Would it be so bad to pretend that things were the way he wished them to be, even if they never could be? Even just for a night?

_ Selfish prick. _

He let out another huff, standing from his edge of the bed. The conflict in his brain would have to wait, for now. No more confusing contrarianism, no more battling with his psyche. Using a match from a box on the bedside table, he lit a small candle near the window, providing minimal light. Lily seemed to have arrived home at some point, he saw now, and had settled on top of a mound of chair cushions; not wanting to chance it, Gajeel gently nudged the Exceed with his foot, silent relief cascading through him as Lily’s claws protruded subconsciously, clutching onto his foot.

“Yep, that’s you, Lil.” He whispered to himself, shaking his foot to release himself of Lily’s grip before moving on towards the bathroom. 

When he stepped inside the crimson room, Gajeel flicked the light on and sat on the edge of the porcelain bathtub, bringing himself level with the long mirror behind the sink basin. For such an expensive stay, there was hardly any bathroom space; he’d seen bigger outhouses in back-house inns and bed-and-breakfasts, much less hotels. He rubbed at his eyes, squinting in the bright light that assaulted his senses and glared at the mirror’s reflection.

His hair was relatively disheveled, the bags under his eyes eased somewhat; it had been the first night he’d had any good measure of sleep, although its interruption was according to schedule. He lifted a hand to his jawline, the stubble of his recent shave starting to itch and poke through his skin. With a sigh, he realised he hadn’t even brushed his teeth yet. 

_ You look haggard. Ain’t no rest for the wicked. _

He stood as suddenly as he sat down, using the toilet next to the basin. Gajeel squinted his eyes shut, the remnants of the nightmare that had woken him fleeting. Even though the details were lost, the framework was still the same; all of that one stupid  _ fucking _ mistake. Luckily, lethargy still hung around like a low cloud, obscuring the heavy thoughts that usually replayed themselves in his head like a broken record. 

_ That’s enough of that.  _

Gajeel flushed the toilet, turning to the sink basin to wash his hands. He locked eyes with his reflection as the warm water ran over his hands, as if he was trying to intimidate it - or himself. Keeping himself in check. Reminding himself that he can’t build things up to fit his fantasies. His head started to clear from the fog of sleep. Levy was in his bed. She was in his bed.

_ She’s in the bed. _

Gajeel’s stomach churned, partially from nerves and partially from guilt. On one hand, he’d never wanted anything more; he wanted to walk with her, side-by-side, into whatever future awaited, always together. He’d wanted to tell her that since just before the games, or maybe just after. The games were always a blur due to the friendly competition, the weight of Fairy Tail’s need to become relevant again, and the fact that the entire world almost went to shit because of the Eclipse gate. 

_ Can’t forget about the dragons. _

The point was, she was the only one besides Mirajane and Natsu that made an active effort to speak with him after he joined the guild, despite his utterly heinous and unforgivable mistake. Everyday, for about a week, she’d gone and sat with him, a book close to her chest and her red glasses resting on top of her blue locks, that tight orange dress… and she would try to make small talk. He kicked himself mentally ever since for not reciprocating the effort, but with all his deep-rooted abandonment issues -  _ Thanks, Metalicana _ \- it was difficult to reprogram his brain to accept anything genuine or sincere.

He could almost hear that first moment echoing around in his brain, reliving it again. 

_ “I know this might seem silly, or unwarranted, but... I want you to know that I… forgive you. We’re guild mates now, after all, and I don’t like holding grudges.” _

_ He gave barely a grunt in response, looking her up and down.  _

_ “I suppose I should properly introduce myself.” She beamed, pulling the strap of her satchel above her head and seating herself down on the other side of the bench. She set the bag down beside her, upright instead of flatly on the bench seat. _

_ Holding out a hand, hesitant at first, she gave a modest smile.  _

_ “I’m Levy. McGarden.” _

When she had stopped, and rightfully so, he found that he came to miss the company, no matter how awkward it was. By that point, he hadn’t even had Lily around to keep him sane and on the straight and narrow, so he regrettably didn’t follow it up unless she came to him first. 

If she hadn’t picked him for Tenrou, he wondered if anything would have transpired the way it did. If the cavity he called a heart would ever have had the barbed wire he so carefully twisted around it unravelled quicker than he could blink. Would he have continued to shrivel into a sad, complex mess of a loner? And if she hadn’t personally come and wished him luck every night of the Grand Magic Games in secret, bringing small good luck tokens she’d bought from vendors at souvenir stores and treats from bakeries (curse her for knowing he had a secret sweet tooth - she was observant), would he have become a jaded hermit? Just how much of him was she responsible for? How much was her influence?

He had a plethora of reasons it could never work. She was too good, for starters. He could never be enough for her. She would have every right to reject him, to scorn him forever; after all, some crimes didn’t deserve to be forgiven  _ or _ forgotten. How could she love someone who hospitalised her? Who humiliated her and her friends in front of her guild, her home, all for a cheap shot in some pathetic rivalry? Levy deserved someone better, someone wholesome. She deserved someone who could fill her heart and keep her soul warm. Someone who couldn’t ever dream of hurting a complete stranger to start a guild war. 

Gajeel blinked in the mirror, running a hand through his hair. His chest felt like it was tightening with every counter-rationalisation, guilt being overtaken by disappointment and rejection. He wanted Levy so bad,  _ needed _ her so much that it ached. He needed to be the one who got to hold her at night, and the one who met her tired gaze in the morning. He needed to be the one who spoiled her with gifts, who eased her worries. Who -

“It didn’t hurt… The pollen stopped the spread…”

It was as if the slate in his mind had been wiped clean. Her voice, still drunk on sleep, in the other room. Sleep talking. Dreaming peacefully, in  _ his _ bed. 

And how long would he continue to let the past punish him like this? 

Gajeel released his hands from the edge of the basin, unaware that he’d been gripping onto it so tightly, and turned off the faucet. He flicked the light switch again, coming back into the dark room. He couldn’t feel any presence other than Levy and Lily, mentally declaring the room safe. 

_ Come to think of it, though… My senses have been fine all day. _

“Lev.” He said, checking to see if she was awake. Gajeel waved a hand in front of her eyes, but she barely stirred.

She inhaled sharply at the nickname, but seemed to remain dead asleep. If it wasn’t for all the sleep talking, he wouldn’t have been sure she was even breathing.

“Ask Jet…” She mumbled, burrowing her head into the pillow. Gajeel rolled his eyes at the mention of the man, but wondered if she - in her sleep, of course - thought he was Droy.

“He ain’t here.” Gajeel replied, stepping over to her. He crouched in front of the bed, coming eye-to-eye with her. It wasn’t the first time he’d been so close, and he definitely hoped it wouldn’t be the last. He could feel her warm breath against his cheek, and he closed his eyes for a few seconds, taking the time to acknowledge the moment. To lock it into his memory before it never happened again.

She shuffled, eyebrows furrowing as she moved more onto her stomach, but still on her side. Her arm thrust out toward him, and he barely dodged it, centimetres away from his face. 

“Check the cans.” She responded, after a brief pause.

Gajeel’s head tilted ever so slightly, and he blinked tiredly as he let his eyes lay upon her face, taking in every small detail. Every freckle, every eyelash, the tiny scar on the underside of her chin. He memorised it as if it was the last time he would see her; like this, so peaceful and pure. 

“Some dream you’re havin’.” He whispered to himself, standing up from his squat. Levy’s grip on the blankets had loosened since he’d left, and he grabbed them by the long edge and gave them a shake, letting them settle back over her body. He was careful in tucking her in, lightly pushing her extended arm back towards her and under the blankets. She hummed as she moved to shuffle again.

_ You move around a lot, too. _

Gajeel exhaled, knowing he’d passed the threshold of being able to return to his own slumber - not that he particularly wanted to - so he settled for just sitting up on his side of the bed. He eyed the block of iron he’d been chipping away at over time, almost completely finished. It was one of the most difficult things he’d ever carved, but as the tiny chain-links jingled when he picked them up, he’d never felt more proud of himself.

It was rough, and could use a filing down, but he wasn’t particularly concerned with that at the moment. He concentrated hard on carving in the final details, working more off of memory now. He’d taken a few liberties with it, so it wasn’t  _ exactly _ like the one in the store that she had fawned over; but he figured that she would appreciate the personal touches. 

Over the tiny metallic scrapes, he could hear her heartbeat, focusing in on it every now and again. Its steady thumping pattern, like a metronome. Levy turned towards him once again, and shuffled closer, still shivering. With uncertainty, Gajeel edged himself over to fill the gap, her body warmth meeting his as their sides aligned. She shivered once more before curling up, her arms resting against the outer side of his thigh. 

Gajeel would steal one more glance, he decided; just one. That would be all he’d need, and then he would focus back on the bracelet. 

But when he turned his head, her soft blue curls stole his attention. And  _ god,  _ were they  _ soft _ . His fingers retained the memory of carding themselves through the messy locks. His eyes trailed to her face; long, dark eyelashes that curled upwards just at the ends, framing those big golden eyes like a perfect painting. The faint freckles, barely visible unless you were looking, across her cheeks and nose, all the way up between her eyebrows. Her cheeks were dusted with a rosy tinge, and her lips were slightly parted; he could hear the deep breaths that passed through, if he attuned his hearing to it (and often, he did). The softness of her jawline, her neck, her collarbone. The top she was wearing that conveniently slipped  _ just _ off of her shoulder...

How was any of this fair? How was he supposed to focus on anything other than  _ her? _ Almost all of his thoughts brought him back full circle. It didn’t help that she was touching him, and his heart started to race the more he thought about that damn strap on her top. He pulled the blanket up to her chin, forcing himself to look away. 

_ Not like she can help it. She’s dead asleep. _

Levy let out some positive, contented noise and stirred. burrowing her head back into the pillow. She shivered again, and Gajeel decided to give up on the bracelet for now; that could wait. But tonight?

He could keep her warm tonight. 

…

“So good to see you again, Miss McGarden! And company.” Duplaine greeted hastily, practically waltzing around the dome as he picked papers off of tables and grabbed leather cases of tools. He cradled them to his chest, frantically taking stock of what he had; counting out loud. He seemed unusually shaken compared to his usual cocky demeanour.

“Professor! The carriages are about to leave! The drivers said they aren’t waiting any longer!” Rebecca urged, peering around the corner of the large archway. She herself looked shaken; her purple hair flying off in all directions from her pair of braids. 

“Tell them I need a  _ minute! _ ” Duplaine shouted back, rather aggressively. He turned back to Levy, ignoring Gajeel and Lily altogether. 

“Everything’s been left as it was before you took some time off. We haven’t made much progress since we’ve, well… been helping out at the ruins. One of the interns started sorting the known languages for you, as Pantherlily asked.” 

Levy shot a look across to Lily, who nodded politely in response. 

_ So, the cat  _ was _ doin’ something all this time.  _

“But there are a few artefacts missing. Were they to return to their original spots by the end of the day… no fingers would be pointed.” 

Levy flushed at that. Embarrassment taking over, Gajeel imagined. Although she probably assumed he was talking about her, Duplaine’s pointed look towards Gajeel told him all he needed to know. He made sure to return it, as coldly as it was given.

“Professor!” Rebecca called again, rocking back and forth on her feet. Duplaine waved her away, then bringing his hand up to his head to smooth some flyaway hairs.

“We’ll be unreachable for a good portion of the day. Just keep a log of your progress. There’s fresh jugs of water in the ice box, since the sink is out, and we’ve upped security, so expect to see them throughout the day. Wonderful to see you’re feeling better.” He summarised, giving Levy a curt nod. Lily got the same, and Gajeel got a once-over look. He raced to Rebecca, and the pair took off down the rounded hall, their footsteps heavy on the tile. 

“What now?” Lily asked, shrinking down from his battle form. 

“You even been patrolling, cat? Dupansy says there’s a new security detail.” Gajeel accused lightheartedly, crossing his arms. Lily scoffed.

“I’ve been here everyday with Duplaine and the interns. Not even a single sign of any tampering, infiltration, aggression or anything else of the sort. I suppose the higher security is a result of the two missing interns.”

Levy walked over to one of the workspaces, setting her satchel down onto a desk and pulling out the texts she’d borrowed. She huffed as she organised them, setting them out in some order. 

“I agree. Anyhow,” Gajeel began, still watching her back. A bad feeling began to sink in his stomach, heavy like an anchor and as wretched as death.

“Might as well get up to some snooping for any clues on those kids. Two sets of eyes are better than one, and since  _ he _ ain’t here, we’ve got a rare opportunity to snoop through the offices.” 

“I haven’t had the chance to check outside the perimeter between guarding the dome for Duplaine.” Lily admitted. 

“Don’t stray too far, please.” Levy piped up monotonously, her back still turned to them. She stood back from the desk, looking over the system she’d established. She let out a breath, one filled with determination.

“Wasn’t plannin’ on it. Not with the price on _ your _ head.” He joked dryly.

As she reached into her bag, Gajeel saw her pull out a light pen, her reading glasses and a notebook. 

_ Gettin’ serious, huh? _

She moved towards the kitchenette, opening an icebox beneath the sink. The sink itself had a piece of paper taped to its faucet, likely something along the lines of  _ out of order _ written on it. Levy pulled out a pitcher of water and a few glasses, bringing them back to the workspace. She poured herself a glass, and two more, leaving them on an empty bench. 

“I suppose we better get to it.” Lily remarked. “We’re in for a long day.” 


End file.
